Blind Leap of Creativity
by tharah
Summary: Lina has an artistic talent many would die for, yet it never seems enough for the one thing she wants. Finally someone shows her that talent isn't just about technique, but is about emotion as well. LZ, AU, bit OOC Edit: Chapter 11 FINALLY up!
1. chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time._

Following a nice comment suggestion that I do something more original. Hopefully this hasn't been done to death, and if it has, I haven't read it. No major warning...I'm actually nice to everyone this time. (_Gasp, what a shock!_) Hope you enjoy!

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_Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 1_

"Hmm...a bit more red here? Maybe orange would look better..." Lina regarded the picture a moment, fiery tones depicting a distant sunset.

She stared another moment at the canvas, left arm shifting slightly to hold her palette more comfortably. Her paintbrush hovered above the palette, her fingers gripping the frail wood loosely. Despite her casual posture while painting, her friends had often commented that her calm demeanor was just a front for an iron will, and an equally strong dedication

Tilting her head slightly to one side, Lina finally made her decision. With a speed that still amazed her fellow students, her paintbrush moved from paint to canvas, smoothly adding a stroke of rich yellow to the painting. With a small sigh, Lina took a step back, looking her piece over with a critical eye. Despite having worked on the painting for two weeks solid, something still felt absent. When repainting every bit of background hadn't made a difference, her focus had shifted to the colors themselves. After buying new paint, re-shading all the key areas, and now tweaking the highlights, the painting still felt..._off_.

A slight intake of breath caught Lina's attention. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed Sylphiel standing behind her, a bright smile on her face. The dark-haired art student had been a close friend since joining the art school the same day as Lina. Sylphiel specialized in children's art, painting vivid murals for everything from buildings to books. Though Lina had been praised more by fellow students, secretly she admired Sylphiel's skill above all others. Somehow the quiet woman managed to imbue her work with emotion that couldn't be ignored. People couldn't help being overwhelmed by the gentle feelings of love and family Sylphiel painted. For years Lina had been trying to give her own work that extra dimension, without success.

"Such a beautiful painting, Lina!"

The admiration made Lina wince a bit, even though she knew her friend meant every bit of emotion behind the statement. She had always had a hard time accepting praise. If her work didn't feel right in her own eyes, how could others think so highly of it?

"Thanks, Sylphiel. I wish I felt that confident about it." She admitted, setting her palette down gently. After a moment she moved back to stand beside her friend, again judging the painting with a gaze of scrutiny.

"What do you mean Lina? Your painting looks perfect! The clouds are shaded enough that they look real, while the sunset colors seem taken straight from an evening back home. You have a gift Lina, you only need to see it."

Lina couldn't help returning Sylphiel's open smile. Sometimes she wondered how her friend could find the good points in everything, yet she couldn't imagine Sylphiel any other way. If any woman deserved to find happiness in life, Sylphiel was that woman.

Deciding that it might be best to call it a day, Lina ran her arm across her forehead, letting out a deep breath. "So, came to check up on me? You should be proud Sylph, I actually stopped for lunch today."

A delicate laugh was her response. "If my food is the only thing that will get you to rest, I'll have to make you lunch more often."

"You bet!" Lina winked to show she was only teasing her friend. "I don't need to tell you how good your cooking is."

"I should hope so, given how much you eat!"

Once Lina noticed Sylphiel's bright smile, she knew the woman was teasing her. "C'mon you, let's get out of here. I don't know about you, but I could use a nice meal."

It didn't take long for Sylphiel to fall into step beside her, though Lina waited patiently while the woman locked the studio up for the evening. Falling into a light conversation that purposely avoided the day's work, they chatted while walking through the mostly-empty school. Faintly Lina could hear the sounds of other students working, most likely those that wanted to finish their projects before heading off for the weekend.

Atlis University was known for its open-door policy. During the weekdays the school was always open, allowing students to work on their projects when they had the time. Light security would wander the halls, more to discourage theft than to keep an eye on the students. Friday, at midnight sharp, the doors would be locked until Monday at seven, and no student would be allowed in, no matter the excuse. Sylphiel had teased her a time or two that the rule had been made for people like Lina. It was no secret she would paint all weekend if allowed.

Realizing her mind had wandered, Lina blinked several times to clear her thoughts. She almost laughed after noticing had already reached the parking lot. Briefly the pair stopped in front of Sylphiel's car, the silver Taurus glowing gold in the fading sunlight. It was amazing how early the days ended in winter.

"Did you want to ride together Lina?" Sylphiel asked softly, searching through her keys a moment.

"Nah, I can meet you there. Save me a table?"

The woman nodded, opening her door. She paused a moment, one foot in the car. "We are eating at Aqua's, right?"

Lina grinned, reaching for her own keys. "Of course, where else?" With a wave, she started toward her own car, still searching her pockets.

A short time later Lina stood before a slightly beat-up Pontiac. The teal paint had an almost painful shine to it, and briefly Lina groaned at the thought of driving so close to sunset. Opening the door, the noticed a pair of sunglasses sitting on the passenger-side dashboard.

"Hmm...must be Filia's. I'll have to return them Monday, assuming she needs another ride."

After taking a seat, she reached over for the pair. The dark glasses were almost to her face when someone loudly called her name, almost making her drop the things. Looking over, Lina caught sight of a running Filia, blond hair billowing behind her like some medieval cloak.

"Lina, wait a second!" The woman waved frantically, and Lina wondered what could be so important. It had to be more than the sunglasses.

Smiling a bit, Lina climbed out of the car to wait. Filia had been her friend since high school, when they had both shared a semester of choir. The taller woman had the look of a cheerleader, with her long blond hair and bright blue eyes, but her personality didn't fit. Filia was a dedicated creative, somehow managing to fit singing, cooking, and sculpting into her schedule. Now and then she and Lina would team up, with Filia working up some pottery, and Lina painting it. It was a handy way to pay the rent in the summer.

A bit breathless, Filia came to a stop a few feet away. After catching her breath, she flashed Lina a tired smile. "Sorry about that, I wanted to catch you before the weekend break."

"Not a problem, Filia. What did you need?"

"Can you stop by my house tomorrow? We've been talking about another project, and I could really use your help painting a few things."

"Sure thing Filia. You know, you could have called later tonight."

Lina couldn't hold back her laughter at the wide-eyes shock on Filia's face. The woman let out an exasperated yell.

"Don't worry Filia, we all lose a bit of common sense around mid-terms. Your schedule is twice as hectic...you're allowed to forget things now and then. " Lina grinned a moment, wondering how far she could push her friend. "Just don't make it a habit."

Ducking a playful swat from the blonde, Lina placed the sunglasses in her hand. "Here, you forgot these yesterday. Well, see you tomorrow!"

Lina was still laughing lightly as she drove out of the parking lot. Even the harshness of direct sunlight couldn't bring her spirits down.

-

Keys jangling noisily, Lina managed to open the front door on the second try. Still humming the tune from a song on the radio, she tossed her jacket on the couch without a care. Unlike many students, she lived in an actual house. Now and then a friend would room with her for a month or two, but usually she lived alone. At one time the home had been her grandmothers, but the kindly woman had passed on several years back. Technically her older sister Luna was supposed to live with her, but that arrangement hadn't worked. Now Luna lived in her own place across town, far enough away for independence sake, but close enough for emergencies.

More than once someone had asked her if she minded living alone. Usually she put on a brave face and told them she loved the freedom. At night, in a fairly large building that had a knack for attracting shadows and silence, she missed the company of others.

"Ah well, I've got painting to keep me company!" Lina joked, more to hear her own voice than anything else.

Heading upstairs, Lina sought out her stereo first. After rummaging a bit through various discs, she popped a CD into the player, turning up the volume before heading into the other room. By the time she stood before a blank canvas, paints spread out in a neat row just waiting to be used, the first chords of a Dream Theater song reached her ears. Taking that as a cue, she grabbed some darker colors along with her palette. After mixing paint for a bit, she rummaged for the right paintbrush, then went to work.

It was easy to focus on the music over her painting, time slipping by without notice. For some reason she had always done her best work at night, while home by herself. Just knowing no one would suddenly appear at her shoulder, throwing praise or odd comments at her, made things easier. Here she was painting solely for herself, for her music. This canvas would never feel the brush of another's eyes, a glance that would strip another layer away from what made it special, made it _hers_.

Pausing, Lina realized how selfish she sounded. Wasn't a painting meant to be seen? Could she really paint for just herself? Maybe that was the real problem with her work.

"God, I sound afraid to paint for others. I'm going to become one of those weird hermit artists, painting who-knows-what!" Lina muttered, glancing up at her work for the first time.

Lina wasn't surprised to hear herself gasp in awe. The canvas before her was covered in various shades of blue, to the point where she couldn't tell exactly where each color blended into the next. Clouds stretched across various parts of the picture, soft light blues arching delicately against the slightly darker background hues. Stars were scattered about the picture, hidden behind clouds and in small open patches of sky. Against the clear patches of stars hid faint circles of shadow, the shapes hinting at distant planets. Overall it reminded Lina of nights spent stargazing as a child, when the sky seemed to stretch forever, and everything held the fresh wonder of innocence.

Focusing on the painting again, Lina noticed a lone figure. Almost hidden amidst the clouds, yet still part of the foreground, sat a painted faerie, head tilted toward the upper-left corner of the canvas. She perched on one of the larger cloud banks, arms wrapped loosely around her legs, knees held close to her chest. The barest of smiles graced her face, while her eyes held an almost wistful look to them. Clothing and hair billowed out behind her in gentle waves, reminding Lina briefly of Greek styles she had seen.

What had truly affected her was the emotion in the piece. Despite years of painting, both at home and in public, nothing had ever held that spark of life to it, that quality that Sylphiel imbued her work with. Looking at the picture in front of her, Lina had captured that spark.

"How? What was so different this time?" She mused, taking a step back from the painting to get a better view.

A slightly annoyed tenor voice answered her. "I'll tell you what is different. This time you actually listened to me."


	2. chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time._

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_Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 2  
_

Instinctively Lina turned, shifting to grip her paintbrush like a weapon. It wouldn't stop a serious intruder, but it was all she had at the moment. Bearing her palette like a shield, Lina couldn't help feeling a little silly.

Obviously the man felt the same, when he responded in a sarcastic tone. "What do you plan to do, paint me to death?"

Lina felt her fear drain away, anger quickly taking its place. With a sharp retort on her lips, she finally took a good look at the intruder. At first glance he resembled any of the students from college, or at least his clothing marked him as a student of the arts. He wore a long, button-down shirt, unbuttoned and untucked. The long sleeves were rolled up to mid-forearm, the deep blue a nice contrast to his slightly-tanned skin. He wore a plain white shirt underneath, neatly tucked into a pair of black jeans. The only odd bit was the lack of paint, plaster, or some other material that tended to mark almost every student's wardrobe.

When she noticed his face, she realized that that was hardly the only odd thing about him. Light violet hair framed his face, bangs falling to cover one eye. That startled her at first, but then she remembered how popular odd-color dye jobs were at the moment. His eyes were a standard blue, though the slight romantic side of her would swear they were a shade of blue not found in any normal person. When she finally noticed his ears, she almost dropped her brush and palette. Pointed ears poked through layered hair, and while Lina had heard of a few crazy people getting surgery for that kind of thing, she could tell this guy wasn't the type.

Smirking a bit, the man pushed off from his leaning position against the doorframe. "Are you going to stare all night? Or maybe you plan to attack me, is that it? My, my Lina, no wonder you've never listened to me before."

His smug words reminded her of the situation. Tightening her grip on the paintbrush, she held before her. "I don't know who, or what, you are buddy…but I want you to get the hell out of my house!"

"I really don't understand you humans at times. One moment you're happy I helped you do something, the next you want me gone." He shrugged, slowly approaching her.

"I'm warning you…" Lina growled, backing up until she reached the painting. With no where to go, she started to judge how long it would be before he got within range.

Lina had never considered herself a violent person. Sure she had a temper that would strip paint, and an arm with deadly smacking accuracy, but she had never seriously thought about killing someone. Now, with a strange man herding her into a corner, she wondered how could she _not_ kill him.

Gritting her teeth, Lina forced herself to keep her eyes open. Attacking someone blind wasn't the best idea. As soon as the man stepped within arm's length of her, she struck. Swinging her arm in a wide arc, she drove the paintbrush into the man's leg, stopping only when the brush broke in two.

Expecting a scream of pain, or at least a bit of blood, she was surprised when the man only gave a sigh of annoyance.

"I wish you hadn't done that. You of all people should know how precious a good brush is."

The genuine regret in his voice surprised Lina. She'd never heard of an intruder more concerned with art supplies than with valuables worth stealing. Her surprise was quickly discarded once she noticed the slim bit of wood still stuck in his flesh. Gradually the broken brush was falling _through_ his leg. After a moment he lifted his foot, letting the jagged paintbrush fall to the ground with a soft clacking sound.

"Do you often stab your guests?" The man asked. The smooth phrasing of the sentence just barely kept the words from becoming an insult.

Lina fumed a moment, eyes scanning the room for some convenient object to inflict damage with. Briefly she thought about throwing the palette in her hands, but it was the only shield, be it a flimsy one, between them.

'_This man, this **intruder**, considers himself a guest in my home? What kind of guest enters a house uninvited, then insults their host?' _Lina ranted, shooting a death glare at the man. He only gave her a mild smile in response, one far to smug for her taste. '_Even when I attacked him, did he have the decency to stay hurt? No, he most certainly did not!'_

"I'll take that silence as a no."

The comment startled her, and Lina looked up just in time to see the man turn away, walking toward the next room. By the same she'd decided to follow, silence suddenly filled the room. A moment later the man reappeared, resuming his former position as if nothing had happened.

"Sorry, I just find it easier to chat without having to talk over music." He shrugged dismissively. "So, shall we continue, or can we sit down and discuss this in a more civil manner?"

"God, do you always annoy the people you intrude upon?" Lina snapped. Unconsciously she threw her hands out then upward. The palette left her grip in a rush, flying straight toward the man. Lina started to wince at the image of splattered paint, but it never came.

"I let you waste the brush, I won't let you waste the paint as well." The man cut in coldly, neatly catching the palette a foot or so from his chest. Gently he placed it on a nearby table, almost as if it were a rare and fragile object.

Lina regarded him silently a moment, then shrugged. Turning, she headed back downstairs, specifically to the kitchen. She wasn't surprised when the man followed her. After reaching the kitchen, he passed her, heading for the dining room. Distantly Lina noted the sound of a chair being pulled out from the table.

'_Sitting down to dine with an intruder…I must be crazy.'_

A short time late Lina took a seat at the table, setting down a sandwich and a cup of coffee first. Briefly she'd considered a glass of wine, but alcohol might be a risky decision. Coffee would have to due for calming her nerves.

"So…" Lina started. She stopped at the look on the man's face. With a shudder she realized just how much it reminded her of friends that had seen a cigarette while trying to quit. It was a look of longing that only a former addict could sympathize with.

"I don't care how much it hurts, you're not getting my sandwich."

The man blinked, looking up at her in horror. "Your sandwich? You think…gods, I don't want your silly sandwich!" His eyes glazed a moment, and she realized he was looking at her cup of coffee. "Do you happen to have any more of that?"

Lina gestured to the kitchen. "There's a pot on the counter and mugs on the shelf, help yourself."

Five minutes later they were both seated again, though Lina had long finished her sandwich. After letting the man take a sip or two of his coffee, black at that, she started again.

"So…"

"Zelgadis."

She stopped. "What?"

"My name, it's Zelgadis."

"So…Zelgadis, just what are you doing here? It's obvious even to me that you aren't normal. Hell, you might not be human for all I know. Frankly I don't care, which surprises, and slightly scares, me. Right now I care about why you're here, and if you intend to hurt me, though I can't see some violent criminal sitting down for a cup of coffee and a chat."

He set down his cup, looking up and catching her eyes. "I'm not a criminal. I'm here because you needed me. Granted, normally you ignore my advice, but this time you finally listened."

Lina snorted. "I needed you? Geez, that sounds like some bad pickup line."

Zelgadis shot her a dirty look, then continued. "It's my job to offer advise when you need it."

"And just what is your job, pray tell?"

"I'm your creative muse, specialty - painting."

The next day people two blocks over would swear they heard a scream of outrage in the middle of the evening.


	3. chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time._

_ Sorry to all for the delay...I will try to pick up the pace now that winter is over. Summer is far easier on my carpal-tunnel.  
_

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_Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 3 _

A chorus of pots and pans hitting tiled floor was the first thing to greet her. Eyes flying open, she sat bolt upright in bed, wondering who had invaded her home. It took a moment or so, but then the flood of memory hit her, and her mood switched from fear to anger.

"Not only does the idiot keep me up half the night, he also wakes me up at…" She paused in the rant, looking over at her alarm clock. "6:30 am?"

The yell was Zelgadis's only warning that someone was awake… and very angry as well. When a blur of red hair came charging down the stairs and straight for him, he at least had the decency to look a little fearful.

"I won't ask what you're still doing here. I don't want to know why you delight in annoying me. I don't even care to hear why you're cooking me breakfast…" The rant cut off abruptly, as Lina took a second look at the food.

With a speed Olympic athletes would envy, the food disappeared from the stove and reappeared on a plate. A moment later silverware and a cup of juice appeared next to it on the table. It was only after a cup of coffee joined the set that Lina sat down, Zelgadis all but forgotten.

Taking a moment to switch from startled fear to safety mode, he finally realized Lina was eating. "Hey, who ever said that food was for you?"

The following look of death was sharp enough to strip paint from the walls. Realizing it would be safer just to make another meal, he left her to her food. Smiling, Lina noted that even magical beings could be cowed under the right conditions. It helped that separating Lina from food was considered by many to be as dangerous as any natural disaster.

A short time later he joined her at the table, a small plate of eggs and a cup of coffee serving as his entire meal. She didn't bother looking up, and he took the hint, staying silent as well. It was only after eating, when they were both down to their drinks, that she looked up at him.

"So…are you planning to hang around all the time now? While you're a good cook and all, I didn't exactly plan on sharing my house with some magical figment of my imagination."

He bristled at the last part of her statement, but kept his temper in check. "I'm a _muse_, not some figment. I'll have you know that historically my kind hold a lot of weight, so you really should treat me with a bit more respect." Lina started to interrupt, but he held up a hand. "That aside, no, I do not plan on staying. I never intended to arrive in the first place. Muses are supposed to stay in the background, not appear in the real world."

"Lucky me for breaking the odds." She interrupted again, twirling a finger.

"I don't know why I'm physically here. I can only guess the entire system crashed in shock from you actually listening for a change." He snapped, smirking when she let out an angry exclamation.

"Fine, I don't care what you do while you're here. Just do me a favor, and try to keep this little 'visit' as short as possible." With that, she stood up and walked into the front room.

She wasn't surprised to see Zelgadis follow. He stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, watching as she put on her shoes.

"Where are you going?"

"Out. I'll be back later."

By the time she had her coat on, he'd walked halfway into the room. "You actually trust me enough to leave me alone here?"

"No, but I don't think the general population is ready to handle you. You don't exactly blend in you know."

He looked himself over, but stopped at the jingle of car keys being picked up. "So I'm just supposed to wait here?"

Opening the door, she looked back a moment. "I don't know. Watch tv, drink coffee, do what you want." Stepping outside, she stuck her head back inside. "Just _don't_ touch my painting gear." Without another word she shut the door behind her, and walked out to her car.

- - -

"You've really outdone yourself this time Filia." Lina commented, looking the piece of pottery over.

Filia hovered at her side, letting out a sigh of relief at the good review. Normally Filia didn't put much stock in opinions, instead creating for the fun of it. Idly Lina wondered if this particular piece was for a specific someone.

Not that Filia had any cause to worry. The vase before her was elegant, crafted thinly enough to keep the weight light, but thick enough that it wouldn't easily break. The shape itself was classic for holding flowers, but it was the intricate details that set the piece apart. A flowing waterfall covered one side, serving as a single handle for the vase. The foamy waves at the bottom of the falls turned into a river, which led the eye to the vase's other side, where it channeled into a lake. In the center of the lake sat a single swan, in the midst of taking off for flight. Once painted, the entire piece would make a wonderful gift, or sell to a stranger for a high price.

Picking the vase up, Filia hummed to herself as she moved it to a small table for painting. Recognizing the love song, Lina couldn't help smiling.

"So, who is it for?"

Lina was forced to dive for the vase when it slipped from Filia's fingers. The woman turned a bright shade of red, the tune cutting off abruptly. A moment later the flushed smile turned to horror, then relief when the vase was neatly caught by Lina's outstretched hands.

Setting the sculpture safely on the table, she turned to the tall blond. "Filia, I have never seen you drop a single thing in your life! Whoever he is, he must be special to make you react like that!"

"No! There's absolutely no one!" Filia screeched, turning about as red as Lina's hair.

Deciding it might be best to let the subject go, before some helpless pot suffered, Lina changed the subject.

"So, did you have any particular color scheme in mind for this?"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Filia started explaining, and the two spent the next few hours in comfortable silence.

It was by the third hour, while Lina waited for one coat of paint to dry, that she was sick of the quiet. At the best of times she wasn't exactly what someone would call 'patient', and today wasn't exactly the best of times. Deciding that some noise was needed, and knowing the one topic she needed to get off her chest, she started up the conversation.

"Hey, Filia?"

A soft 'mm?' came from the other side of the room. Looking up, the blond removed the plastic sculpting brush from her mouth. Lina couldn't help laughing, realizing how she must look while painting.

"Filia, do you have a muse?"

The blond looked thoughtful for a moment. "A muse? Well, I have creative inspiration, if that's what you mean. I've never really been one of those people to follow those old stories though. I can't imagine some woman in flowing clothes wandering around my head offering advice."

Lina beat back her growing curiosity. "Are muses always women?"

Returning to the delicate shaving she'd been working on in her sculpture, it was a moment before the answer came. "Depends on who you believe. Some legends talked of women dressed in flowing robes, other of mischievous children, others of mysterious elves. The individual bits are different, but almost always it's some figure from another plane…some magical being, maybe even a lesser godling.

Satisfied, Lina let the matter drop, hoping to think on what Filia had said. In the middle of mixing two colors for the next coat of paint, Lina heard Filia speak up again.

"Hey, Lina?"

"Yeah?"

"Why the sudden curiosity about muses? You've never been one for history, or mythology."

Lina almost spilled her paint in surprise. "Um…no reason at all!" She replied in a rush, fighting off a blush. She would not think about Zelgadis, she would not think about having an elf in her home, and she would _not_ tell Filia about him!

There was a startled 'ack' as Lina noticed Filia beside her. Once interested, the woman never let go. "Filia, don't do that!" Briefly she wondered if the blond had teleported to her side somehow.

"Lina, you're blushing!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No, I am definitely _not_!" A pause. "And stop smiling like that Filia!"

- - -

It took an entire hour before Zelgadis was bored. Television held no interest for him, even at the best of times. While Lina had a fairly decent collection of books, he was in no mood to relax and read. Mortals didn't realize it, but a muse, when left alone, had a very short attention span.

"My job is to create, and she decides to leave me behind, confine me to this small house, and take away the one thing I might enjoy." Zelgadis sulked, eyeing Lina's painting equipment.

"Well, I've never been one to follow the rules before…why start now?" He decided with a growing smirk.

Heading downstairs, was stopped by a mirror hanging on one of the walls. Remembering Lina's earlier…comments, he gave himself a quick look over.

The clothing seemed fine. It matched a number of students he'd seen Lina draw inspiration from. The colors were a bit off, but he'd never been one for the black wardrobe that was popular at the moment. Blues would suffice. Looking a bit higher, he pulled at a strand of hair. The color _was_ a bit odd, but he wasn't about to dye it. Mortals may hide under a range of colors that would make a chameleon proud, but he'd looked the same way for centuries…he wasn't about to change for one simple girl.

Even his ears weren't that big of a problem. He was certain Lina hadn't thought of it, but a hat would cover them easily. Conjuring one of the floppy beret-style hats he'd seen Lina paint a dozen times, he tucked his ears inside, easily hiding the pointed tips.

Taking another look in the mirror, he smiled. "Well Lina, seems I proved you wrong. I should blend in fine this way."

Still smug, Zelgadis made his way to the door. Realizing he wouldn't need a key to come and go, he locked the door behind him. Deciding to go for a walk around the area, he didn't even look back as Lina's home faded in the distance.


	4. chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time._ _Also, the song "King of Wishful Thinking" is the full property of Go West._

_A big thank you to everyone that has commented so far! Don't worry if updates are slow, I intend to stick with this story. I'm just slow due to health reasons. (Just bug me and I'll get to work!)_

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_ Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 4_

"Annoying mortals…" Zelgadis mumbled, shooting a glare at yet another woman.

Hastily she turned away, flushing in embarrassment. Leaning over to her friend, Zelgadis could just make out the word 'dangerous' before he was out of earshot. With a bit of effort he ignored the comment, letting his eyes go back to watching the sidewalk in front of him.

The whole afternoon had been that way. People would look, look again, then outright stare. Others made hushed comments between each other, shooting dark glances at him. At times he felt ashamed, but he would always remind himself that these people didn't know any better. As a whole humanity was a fearful, superstitious lot, treating anything even slightly different with contempt and hatred.

"Fools. They probably don't even rate a muse…too blind to see beyond themselves."

Still muttering , Zelgadis didn't notice the girl crossing in front of him. It wasn't until he'd collided with something hard enough to fall back a step, that he looked up. The following panicked cry helped to grab his attention.

Looking down, he noticed a young girl sprawled out on the pavement. Surrounded by a variety of combs, brushes, and bottles, she cared more about gathering her things than anything else. Never one to waste materials, Zelgadis couldn't keep himself from helping.

"Sorry about that, I'm usually more attentive."

The girl fixed him with a wide-eyes stare, then smiled brightly. "No no, it's my fault! They told me I shouldn't carry so much, but I didn't have time to go back." Grabbing the last of her things and shoving them in a bag, the girl stood. Extending a hand, her smile widened a notch. "Hi, I'm Amelia!"

Dredging up a smile, Zelgadis returned the handshake. Giving Amelia a quick look for any bruises from the fall, he was forced to up her age by several years. What he'd originally taken for youth was actually a petite frame. Using his artistic eye, he judged her to be around Lina's age, give or take a year or so.

"Zelgadis." Pausing, he picked up one of her bags. "Sorry again for the trouble. Did you need help carrying these?" Deciding it was the least he could do, Zelgadis picked up a second bag.

"Yes, thanks!" Came the instant reply.

Grabbing the other two bags, Amelia started off, raven hair bouncing with each step. Briefly Zelgadis wondered how one person could hold so much energy. Then again, he wondered the same thing about his fellow muses. Compared to most of them, he was more fit for reaper duty than for creative inspiration.

"Umm…just how far is your car?" Zelgadis thought to ask, noticing that they'd already walked a block.

Amelia looked back at him. "Oh, I don't drive. I prefer walking, much healthier!" She slowed her pace a bit, falling into step alongside him. "We're heading back to my apartment."

Zelgadis paled a notch. "Your apartment?"

If he had ever questioned her innocence, Amelia destroyed his doubts with her blank look. "Are you okay?" When he nodded, she continued. "Sure! I share a place down the street with a friend. We're both going to the same college."

Swallowing a sigh of relief, Zelgadis began having second doubts about his little outing. People at a distance had been fairly easy to deal with, while his meeting with Amelia had posed a bigger challenge, though still something he could manage. Now the encounter was being extended, and he would have yet another person to meet. Shifting his grip on the bags, Zelgadis made a vow to keep his little trip from Lina. If she ever learned about his afternoon, she would never let him forget it.

"Don't worry, it's only another block or so."

At Amelia's comment, Zelgadis looked up, nodding to let her know he'd heard her. The two walked in silence for a bit, Zelgadis watching the sidewalk, Amelia taking in every sight around her. The girl had an obvious enjoyment of life, along with an active interest in everything she could see. In many ways he wished Lina was more like Amelia. If she would only approach certain things a bit differently, it would make his life a lot easier. Then again, if he wanted an easy life, he would have asked to be the muse for someone with Amelia's carefree nature.

The tinkle of keys being drawn caught his attention. Looking up, he watched Amelia unlock a brightly painted door. Following her inside, he closed the door, then helped unload her bags. What he had thought were groceries turned out to be hairstyling supplies. Glancing at a neon-labeled can of styling gel, he flashed Amelia a look.

"Hairstylist?"

If possible, Amelia's face brightened by ten-fold. "Yes! My older sister is a model, and she used to always ask me to fix her hair. Now I need to finish college if I want to work on a professional like her." There was a pause while she gave a faint smile. "More people should follow their dreams. There's no one happier than my sister when she's on stage."

"Or you when styling someone's hair?" Zelgadis cut in smoothly.

Blushing a bit, Amelia looked away. "I can tell you're an artist…"

"Oh?"  
"It shows. Most people don't believe in dreams or careers filled with joy. Not these days. The creative ones…well, I don't need to explain it to you."

Even as Zelgadis was working up a reply, the sound of a door opening interrupted their conversation. With a squeal of joy, Amelia dashed off to meet the new arrival, leaving him to follow at a more leisurely pace.

Rounding the corner between the living room and entryway, Zelgadis caught the last of a hug between the hairdresser and the newcomer. Assuming it was the roommate Amelia had mentioned, Zelgadis prepared himself for another greeting.

Pulling her attention away from Amelia, the new arrival gave Zelgadis a warm smile, the type mothers had always used to let guests know they were truly welcome. Letting her smile linger a bit, the taller woman took one of his hands in her own, giving it a firm shake.

"Oh, sorry!" Amelia suddenly jumped in. "Sylphiel, meet Zelgadis…he helped me carry some things back home. Zelgadis, meet my roommate Sylphiel. She's an artist too!"

Fighting off a sudden strong urge to run, or simply vanish then an there, Zelgadis met Sylphiel's smile with one of his own. "I know Amelia…we've already met."

"Thanks Filia, see you Monday!" Lina shouted, making sure the blond would hear her over the starting car.

Giving a short wave through the open window, Lina drove away. It wasn't too far to her place, but she planned to stop off and grab some food before heading home. She honestly had no idea if Zelgadis would be hungry, but just enough of Sylphiel had rubbed off on her that she wouldn't leave it to chance. Muse he might be, but she knew he needed food.

Feeling a bit bad at leaving him alone all day, Lina added another stop to her list. It would cost a bit, but a bag of the local special blend seemed the perfect peace offering. It didn't hurt that she enjoyed the drink herself.

Grinning at the thought of killing two birds with one stone, Lina flicked on the radio. Turning up the volume in order to hear the music over the loud whoosh of open car windows, she recognized the melody to 'The King of Wishful Thinking'. Joining in with the happy-toned refrain, Lina was pleased with herself at remembering the words to the old 80's song.

"I'll get over you…I know I will, I'll pretend my ship's not sinking. And I'll tell myself I'm over you, 'cause I'm the king of wishful thinking…"

When the musical interlude cut in, she dropped out of the song. At one time she'd had her heart set on being a singer, but fate had different ideas. The talent shows were the final nail in the coffin though. Lina knew she had a temper, but compared to some of the backstage mothers…well, she seemed nicer than Sylphiel in comparison. By the end Luna had bailed her out, fighting off the verbal attack of one woman that just wouldn't let Lina get away with beating her daughter in one competition. After that her dreams of singing had died quickly.

"Art was a good replacement…but even that just isn't the same."

Letting the wind swallow her words, Lina was happy to see the local grocery store drift into view. Shopping wasn't her favorite chore, at least not this far from payday, but it would distract her. She didn't like thinking about the past, it did more harm than good on average. Smiling at the prospect of a good meal, Lina let the emotion carry her away. Right now she had things to do, and an annoying muse to get home to.

Twenty minutes later, Lina unlocked her front door while juggling a heavy bag of groceries. Safely tucked away in the middle of the bag was her surprise for Zelgadis.

"Zelgadis…his name sounds so stuffy." Grinning wickedly, she decided to give him a nickname. "I'll have to call him Zel from now on. It'll probably drive him crazy."

Still laughing at the thought, Lina locked the door behind her. At first she thought nothing of the silence, but by the time she was finished putting everything away, it was starting to get to her.

"Hey, anybody home? Helloooo…" Lina shouted up the stairs, but didn't get a reply. "Hey, if you're sleeping in my bed you're a dead man…er, muse!"

Charging upstairs, she threw open her door with a loud 'hah!' sound. Met by an empty room, she quickly gave the rest the same treatment, with the same results. Twenty minutes later she realized he wasn't there.

Flopping on the couch, Lina gave a loud sigh. "If he's not here, then either he's gone back to wherever it is he came from…" Narrowing her eyes, she considered the only other option. "Or else he's ignored me and gone outside."

Standing up abruptly, she flashed the door a look heated enough to set the painted wood ablaze.

"You'd better be gone Zel…or so help me, you're a dead man when you get back."


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time._ _Also, the song "King of Wishful Thinking" is the full property of Go West._

_Another big thanks to everyone that has commented so far! Updates may be slow now and then, but I intend to stick with this story. I'm just slow due to health reasons. (Just bug me and I'll get to work!)

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_ Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 5_

Forcing himself to smile, Zelgadis accepted the offered cup of coffee. Sylphiel sat across the table, a bright smile on her face. Briefly he wondered if she would try hugging him again.

It had been embarrassing, standing in the hall, Sylphiel hugging him like one would a lost pet or child. Again he'd thought about vanishing, but realized it wouldn't help in the long run. He _did _owe her…a hug was a small price to pay.

"Hm?" Zelgadis looked up, realized she'd asked him a question.

"Coffee is still your favorite drink, right?" She glanced at the untouched cup in his hand.

Looking at the drink himself, for the first time he had no desire to finish it. Though Sylphiel was wonderful when it came to anything edible, he remembered all too well her habit of adding sugar to everything, including his coffee.

"Yes, it is." He paused, searching for an excuse to leave. After a moment he caught sight of a wall clock. "I'm sorry Sylphiel, but I need to get going." He blushed in embarrassment, realizing how that sounded. "Not that I don't want to visit! I know we have a lot to catch up on, and I know how you love having company…" He coughed, calming his nerves. He looked foolish, rambling like a child caught red-handed. "Can we try this another day?"

The woman pounced on the offer before he had time to regret it. "Certainly! What about next Friday? There's a concert scheduled at my college, and a good friend is performing. You used to love music…" She paused, and he nodded.

"I still do."

She smiled, continuing instantly. "Perfect! Will you meet me back here Friday, around 6?" She paused, frowning. "I know you followed Amelia here, but do you actually know how to get here?"

He gave her a light smirk. "You forget who you're talking to. Now that I know you're here, I can find my way back."

Sylphiel laughed softly. "I should know better than to doubt you Zelgadis.

Standing up, he gave a polite thanks for the afternoon. Just before leaving, he gave her an odd look. "Yes Sylphiel, you should." Then he vanished, not bothering with the front door.

- - -

Lina didn't bother waiting for Zelgadis to finish appearing. With a sudden lunge she tackled him around the knees, throwing the muse to the floor. Fully appearing, Lina almost laughed at the look of shock on his face. When the shock turned to annoyance, she remembered her mission.

"YOU!" She yelled, shaking him a bit. "Just where in the hell have you been?"

He managed to regain enough composer for a sharp retort. "Why, did you miss me already?"

Instantly Lina let him go and backed away. "God no!"

Gradually Zelgadis climbed to his feet, unconsciously straightening his clothing. When he finally looked up, Lina speared him with a dark glare.

"You went _outside_."

He paled, though his response was calm and casual. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

Crouching, she came up with a leaf between her fingers. "This is a leaf…a leaf that obviously did _not_ come from this house. Unless your little Museland is full of the exact same tree in front of this place, you've been outside."

Zelgadis bristled at her comment, but didn't comment on it. "Fine, I went out."

"Idiot!" She snapped, bonking him on the head. "Did you ever stop to think first? What if someone found out about you?"

He gave her a long look. "So? You've already proven that I can't exactly be hurt, and if worse comes to worse, I'll just vanish."

Lina looked at him, mouth open in surprise. After a minute she closed it, then fell back on the couch. "Hmm…you've got a point there. Still, I don't have to like it."

"I didn't ask you to. You aren't my caretaker." He took a seat himself. "Anyway, how did your painting go today?" He asked, changing topics.

"Don't think for one minute I'm letting your off that easy!" She started. Then she did a double take. "What did you just say?"

"How did your painting go this afternoon?" He shot her a look. "And before you ask…I'm a muse, remember? It's my job to know when you paint."

What could she say to that? "Ah, I see."

"Not a bad effort by the way. Lacked that spark though."

Neither of them saw it coming. In an instant Lina was on her feet, arm drawn back and rapidly moving forward. Her hand hit his face at full force, hitting him hard enough to tilt his chair back a bit. Rocking forward, his hand flew to his face, eyes wide in shock. When the narrowed in anger, she cut off any response with a look of death.

"You can pick on me all you want, shoot off any snide remark or sarcastic comment…I don't care. There are two things you _can't_ do. Don't pick on my friends, and don't pick on my art. You do either, and next time you'll get worse than a slap."

Zelgadis stared at her a minute, but didn't say anything. Just when Lina expected him to get angry, or just disappear entirely, a smile of excitement lit his face.

"That…that emotion! That's the very quality you need to _paint_!" Grabbing her hand, he practically dragged her upstairs.

He left her standing in front of a blank canvas, brush and palette already in hand. Various warm colors dotted the board, the fiery tones complementing her mood perfectly. Selecting a blinding red first, briefly she wondered about him, about his job. At times like this, when he was caught up in the passion of his work, he really fit the image of a muse. He might even know parts of her better than she did herself.

By the time brush hit canvas, her anger was fading. The thought that he understood parts of her so well…it didn't really scare her anymore. It was almost nice to think someone could relate, would actually support her. Her sister had never really tried, and her friends just seemed to already be at this point she was still struggling to reach. She couldn't ask them, her pride wouldn't allow it. But here was someone that knew exactly what she was lacking, and he wanted nothing more than to teach her.

"Separate your current emotion from your work! You're focusing on anger, you can't lose that spark just because your mood is changing." Zelgadis snapped, standing a bit behind her and off to one side.

For a moment Lina's anger started to return, but quickly she realized he was trying to teach, not pointlessly criticize. Thinking of him as a teacher helped put things in perspective, and gradually she started to understand what he was pushing her toward.

For his part, Zelgadis studied both Lina and the canvas, occasionally nodding or muttering to himself. Every so often he would prompt her one way or another, coming up with an idea or direction for her to try. They worked that way for four hours, neither noticing the passing time.

At the end, Lina used the very last of her paint, amazed at Zel's ability to predict what she would need. Looking over at the muse, his brows drawn together in concentration, his breathing shallow from distraction, she couldn't think of him in a formal light anymore. It was obvious that he really wanted her to succeed, to improve. In the creative world, that earned a lot of respect, and a good amount of trust.

"Well, what do you think?"

While Zel looked the painting over with a sharp eye, Lina looked it over herself. Using every shade of red and orange she had, along with quite a few yellows, the painting was a tangle of warm hues.

Again, like the last painting he'd influenced, this one has a fantasy tone. On one side stood a woman, the jagged speared of yellow-white arcing from her hands marking her a mage. She wore a fancy robe in reds and oranges, each bit of cloth and gold jewelry showing off her wealth.

At the other side of the painting stood a dragon, crimson scales glinting dangerously. A blast of flame extending from it's jaws toward the woman. Fire mixed with lightning, leaving an eye-catching battle of light and force hanging between the two. While the battle between the two was interesting, it was a few certain details that caught Lina's eye. Beneath the dragon, hidden almost entirely by a wing, one could see the scattered remains of broken eggs. Lying between jagged bits of shell were the tiny bodies of unborn dragons, eyes closed and forms still.

Looking back up, Lina realized where the spark of the piece lay. The dragon, a mother to the dead, held a mark of pure hatred in her ruby eyes. The emotion was clear, and with it Lina knew the mother would happily die, if only to see the human fall first.

Suddenly Zel spoke up. "Not bad for a fantasy piece. It's a bit out of your element, but you pulled it off wonderfully. You should be proud Lina."

Turning, he gave her a warm smile. Without words he was thanking her for listening, and also congratulating her on a job well done. Smiling back, Lina flashed him a victory sign.

"Thanks Zel! I almost hate to say it, but I couldn't have done it without you…thanks."

"No problem Lina, it's my job." He started to walk out of the room, then caught himself a few feet away. Looking back, he gave her an odd look. "What did you call me?"

"Zel. You looked like you could use a good nickname."

He chuckled, shaking his head a bit. "I should have known."

Once downstairs, after checking to make sure Lina was out of hearing range, Zel smiled. "Thanks Lina….thanks."


	6. chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time._

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_Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 6_

"Mor…"

A blur of red flew by, flashing past the table and out the door before he could finish speaking.

"…ning." He finished lamely, fixing the door with a blank stare. Turning back to his breakfast, he noticed the state of the table.

Blinking, Zelgadis took a moment to rub any stray sleep from his eyes. Opening them again, he gave a small shudder. The table, which a moment before had held two entire meals for breakfast, was currently spotless. All glasses, his included, had been drained of liquid. Likewise, each plate was spotless, leaving him unsure if cooking the food was nothing but some sleep-inspired dream.

Carefully picking up his mug, Zelgadis eyed the bit of plaster warily. If Lina could consume two meals that quickly as a mortal, he thanked whatever god might be listening that she didn't have any muse abilities backing her.

"I pray this world never discovers magic…I don't even want to think about what she'd be like then!"

- - -

"Thank you for coming, have a nice day!" Turning, Lina beamed at the next customer. "Hello there, welcome to Ceiphied's! How many in your party today?"

The gaggle of cheerleaders smiled, several giggling among themselves. It took a lot of effort, but Lina managed to keep her welcome smile in place and her hand at her side, despite how much it itched to beat some sense into the girls. Generally Sunday was the slowest day of the week, but the local high school had been forced to postpone their big Saturday game - and that had led to the current mob of people wanting food. Judging by how happy the new arrivals were, she assumed their team had won the game.

"Table for eight, please!" One of the girls finally answered, almost bouncing in place with energy.

Lina couldn't keep from twitching a bit. "Sure…right this way."

Grabbing the necessary menus, Lina started off without a backward glance. Already another group had entered the doors and she didn't have the time to spare. Experience let her wend her way past overfilled tables and crowded booths, dodging various customers as they flitted between tables of friends, others heading to and from the restrooms.

Picking one of the few corner booths left, she distributed the menus much the same as dealt cards, turning to smile just as the girls caught up with her.

"Martina will be your server today, enjoy."

Lina started walking away before the girls could comment. Instead of returning to her post at the door, she detoured into the kitchen for a moment.

There was something comforting about the hidden half of Ceiphied's. Chaos always ran rampant there, but it was like some wild dance that everyone enjoyed. Servers ran to and fro, twirling around each other while juggling various orders. Chefs flew between cooking areas, tending stoves and grills like a witch to a cauldron. The sounds of chopping knives, hissing steam, and beeping microwaves formed an almost musical background. All in all it was overwhelming, but at the same time it was like a second home. Instead of a canvas done up in a riot of color, it was a room overflowing with a riot of creation.

It didn't take long for Lina to spot a familiar batch of dark hair. Waving one arm above her head, Lina intruded a bit more on the cooking frenzy.

"Sylphiel!"

The woman looked up in response to hearing her name called, not that such a thing was uncommon. Despite her age, Sylphiel had already worked her way up to the head chef position, a role shared with one other, an older man that worked the night shift. Not that anyone doubted Sylphiel's qualifications. Her father had been a well-respected local chef and it surprised no one to see his daughter following in his footsteps. It helped that she had such a kind, yet professional, personality.

Breaking away from a pair of younger cooks, she made her way over to Lina, a bright smile on her face. It was infectious, and Lina found herself returning it by the time Sylphiel arrived. Her friend always seemed so happy, even though she'd seen Lina at the start of their shift, her current smile was as bright as if they'd been separated for weeks. If only Sylphiel had been her sister instead of Luna…just the sheer amount of support and comfort her friend was capable of…maybe she never would have given up on singing. On the other hand, it was turning to art that had introduced them in the first place.

"Lina, good to see you!" She looked around, trying to be sneaky. The effect was ruined by her bright smile. "Are you back here to sneak a free meal?"

Biting back a laugh, Lina tried to feign innocence. "Me? Honestly Sylphiel, how can you accuse me of something like that?"

"Experience."

Lina stuck out her tongue when a nearby cook snickered. The entire staff was familiar with her love of food, especially Sylphiel's. It was a long running joke that more of Lina's paycheck went to meals at Ceiphied's than bills for her home.

"Actually, I wanted to know if you're going on break soon." She grinned slyly. "But now that you've mentioned food…"

Her friend chuckled. "I'll bring something out for you, don't worry. Ten minutes sound good?"

"Okay, I'll wait at our usual table. See you then!"

- - -

"Lina?"

"I'm on break!" She snapped, daring Martina to contradict her. The younger girl hated working the front, only waitresses received tips after all.

Scowling, Lina slipped away just as another family walked in. By the time Martina finished with them, she'd be safely tucked away at her usual table waiting for Sylphiel. No one would intrude on a shared break with Sylphiel…well, unless the kitchen was on fire and in danger of destroying the restaurant.

In general the staff at Ceiphied's looked out for both Sylphiel and Lina. They weren't the typical high school part-timers. They were both in college, trying to pay the bills by working themselves to the bone. Aside from full-time shifts at the restaurant, both sold their artwork, a feat that took a lot more hours than most thought. If you really wanted to create something worth buying, you had to put a lot behind it. For Lina that meant working with Filia part time, creating paintings to sell at the various art fairs during the year, and offering year-round commissions. For Sylphiel that meant working on her books, hiring out to do murals, selling at the same fairs Lina did, and offering a similar commission schedule. Throw school work on top of that…most of the older staff made it their mission to see both girls take each and every break they were offered.

Smiling over her successful escape, Lina slid into the booth half of one of the back tables. Years ago Lina and Sylphiel had claimed the table for themselves, as it was the closest to the kitchens and the furthest from other customers. No one else used the table; it was warm due to its proximity to so much cooking, it was noisy for the same reason. If something came up, Sylphiel could dart back into the kitchen quickly, but on the other hand she had an easier time sneaking food out. Of course it was that last reason that meant the most to Lina, but that was besides the point.

As usual, Lina heard Sylphiel before she saw her. Opening the kitchen door led to a noticeable increase in sound. It could have been a waitress coming or going, but somehow Lina always knew when it was her friend.

Sure enough, a moment later she rounded the corner, two trays of food balanced on her arms. Smiling brightly, she set one in front of Lina, placing the other in front of her own chair. Lina had half the food gone by the time Sylphiel had taken her own seat.

"Can you even taste the food, Lina?"

Lina grinned at the tease, slowing down long enough to answer. "Of course! I know you cooked this, Sylphiel. You finished it a few minutes ago, using five spices and three sauces, but Zangulus worked on the salad."

"How did you know?"

"He uses more pepper than you do."

"And the rest?"

Lina shrugged. "Experience." Then she went back to her meal, finishing it off in moments.

Once done, Lina was up for actual conversation. While Sylphiel tackled her meal at a far more normal pace, two ruby eyes regarded her a moment, debating on bringing up one particular subject.

Lina had never been one to back down from anything, awkward subjects included.

"Sylphiel…do you believe in muses?"

The question came out in a rush and it took a moment for the other woman to put it all together. Once properly translated, she nodded, looking up from her meal.

"Yes, I certainly do. Actually, a lot of people do. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I guess I never really thought about it much before the other day. I tried asking Filia about it, but she really doesn't believe in them in the mythological sense."

"I'm not surprised. She's always been one for a more practical approach. I guess you could consider me a bit of a romantic…I've always liked the idea of a being that exists solely to inspire creativity. That is a wonderful gift and a blessed purpose."

Lina fidgeted a bit, thinking about her houseguest. It was hard to think of someone so…_annoying_ as the type of being Sylphiel described. Briefly she thought back to the painting from the other day. She was modest enough to admit that she couldn't have painted that on her own. Zel's influence had made the difference. Maybe she was crazy, or had been around paint fumes just a bit too often. Suddenly the idea of a muse living in her home seemed even more impossible than ever.

Flushing a bit, Lina realized she'd missed a question from Sylphiel.

"Sorry, what was that?"

Her friend smiled gently. "I asked why you brought it up all of a sudden. You always struck me more as someone who approached things from a practical angle."

"Well, the other day I finished a painting…two actually, that are definitely a cut above the rest of my work. I'm just trying to figure out why. I don't really feel inspired."

Lina regretted the words even as they left her mouth. When Sylphiel's eyes started to sparkle, she suffered a flash of guilt at her lie.

"You finished another two paintings? May I see them?"

Unable to think of a good excuse, Lina gave in. "…Sure. They're at -" She suddenly remembered Zel. "Actually, can I bring them by your place later? It's a mess at home."

"Certainly! Tonight at nine?" Sylphiel paused a moment, head tilted in thought. "My roommate will be home, is it a problem if she sees them?"

"Not at all. Amelia is nice, our sisters were friends way back when. I wouldn't want to exclude her."

They both got up, each getting ready for their respective jobs. "I'll see you tonight then, thanks Lina."

"…Don't mention it."

_I know I certainly won't be mentioning it to a certain muse at home._


	7. chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time. (Many, many thanks to those that comment - you drive me to continue and finish this story, thank you!)  
_

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_Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 7_

Her keys slid into the lock with careful precision, the knob turning slowly enough that the usual opening click was almost silent. Feeling more like a thief than a painter, for once Lina was actually praying that no one, especially a troublesome muse, would be home. Opening the front door a slight bit, she poked her head inside, scanning the living room for any sign of Zelgadis. When she could only pick out empty furniture in the un-lit rooms, she gave in to a moment of satisfaction. Maybe her luck was finally turning.

She closed the door behind her, absently flicking the lights on. Warm yellow light bathed the kitchen, casting eerie shadows on the living room furniture. She wasted no time in turning on one of her larger lamps, chasing off the remaining darkness. Taking off her coat, she was just about to toss it on the couch when she caught sight of Zel.

Jacket about to leave her hand, Lina scrambled a moment to keep a grip on the collar, pulling the offending garment against her as if her life depended on it. Scowling darkly at her racing pulse, she glared at the muse. Zelgadis was stretched out on the couch, fast asleep and turned away from her. The couch was a fit short for him, and Lina could easily vouch for how lousy a pillow the arm rest made.

He looked deceptively innocent asleep, a slight smile on his face. Briefly she thought back to a comment Filia had made after one sleep over, a comparison the blond had made about Lina's own sleeping habits.

"An angel when I sleep and a demon when awake, huh? I still owe you for that comment, Filia."

The comment wasn't more than a whisper, but Zel tossed a bit in his sleep, enough that Lina easily got the hint. Now was her chance to get those painting and get out of there, she didn't need a stray thought, vocalized or not, to ruin that.

It didn't take long to gather the paintings, each slipped into a protective travel case. She'd already gotten the first outside, snugly secured in the trunk of her car. Only one painting to go, the dragon and the mage, then she would be safe for the moment. Grabbing the case handle, she was halfway to the door when she gave in to a sudden impulse and glanced at Zel.

He was facing her, eyes open and narrowed in annoyance.

Cursing softly, she gave up the sneaky act with a sigh. "You planned that, didn't you?"

He smirked, propping himself up on one arm. "Of course."

"Figures. Can't take the drama out of the muse…"

Sitting up entirely, he shifted into a cross-legged position. "Care to tell me where you're taking those?" He pointed at her case. "It can't be school, something that normal wouldn't warrant this…thief routine."

"I'm not sure why it's any of your business one way or the other."

He met her annoying tone easily. "I helped you paint those and you know it. They're just as important to me as they are to you." Eyes widening, he bolted to his feet. "You aren't selling them, are you!?"

"NO!" She snapped, her shock and anger turning the single word into a loud yell. "I only sell commissions, you of all people should know that!" Raising a fist, she hissed her next words angrily. "And if you imply something like that again…"

Letting out a exclamation of relief, he flopped back onto the couch. "Then why all the secrecy?"

Relaxing a bit, she decided that it was time to show her cards. "To be honest, I didn't want you tagging along. Despite your little field trip before, I'd rather not have people know about you just yet, okay?"

Her eyes narrowed a bit, daring him to challenge her. When he held his hands up in a clear sign of surrender, she flashed a short victory pose. Chalk one up for the human side!

"Can I ask a favor?"

Suspicious, she waited for him to continue.

"At least tell me what they think of them, hmm?"

Not bothering to ask how she knew, Lina simply nodded, turning away sharply. She was out the door before she could see Zel's thankful smile.

- - -

"Lina! You're right on time, come on in." Opening the door with a smile, Sylphiel reached out to take one of the cases from her. "Here, let me help you with that."

Still balancing the second painting, Lina had enough time to clear the doorway before a blur of dark hair wearing a bright smile tackled her in a hug. With a oof of surprise, Lina tried to return the hug.

"Lina, I haven't seen you in forever!"

When Amelia didn't move away, Lina tried to escape the iron hug. "Umm, Amelia…as much as I enjoy a good hug now and then, can I at least take my coat off?"

Instantly the younger girl seemed to teleport a few feet away, Lina's coat in one hand, her case in the other. Familiar with Amelia's energy, Lina didn't bother asking. Instead she grabbed her case, following Sylphiel into the other room.

Before long the three of them were seated around the front room, each in a chair of their own, a small coffee table between them. At the expectant looks of Sylphiel and Amelia, Lina couldn't help feeling a bit nervous. Despite the confident face she showed over school projects, personal work was something far more intimate. These were important, enough so that part of her was already dreading the possibility of a negative reaction.

"Umm…" Clearing her throat, Lina summoned up a bit more courage. It wasn't like her to be so worried. "This is the first one. Not my usual style, but…" She trailed off, drawing the faerie painting from it's case. Wordlessly she set it on the table so the others could see.

Before either could comment, she withdrew the second painting and set it on the table beside the first. "This is the second. I finished this one the other day." Looking down, she found a sudden interest in a stray hair stuck to her knee.

At Sylphiel's sharp intake of breath, Lina paled a bit. Forcing herself to look at the woman's face, she was dumbfounded when instead of some negative sign she found a wide and beaming smile. Amelia was worse, the girl couldn't have projected a stronger feeling of awe and worship if she had tried.

"That poor mother…forced to confront the murdering injustice of that wicked mage!" Wiping away a few tears, she clenched a fist. "Her grief will become the force behind her honorable strike of vengeance!"

Before the girl could continue, Sylphiel gently placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Law classes this semester?"

Blushing, Amelia nodded. "Sorry, sometimes I get carried away."

Sylphiel favored the girl with a kind smile. "Never be sorry, Amelia. You have true passion for the feelings of others. You only have the best and brightest intentions…that is a noble goal. Just remember not to push to hard."

Looking up, she met Lina's gaze. "You did a wonderful job of capturing emotions in both of these. The emotions are so different, yet both move me in a way…" She trailed off.

"In a way my other paintings didn't?" Lina supplied, not hurt in the least.

Slyphiel acknowledged her save with a nod of thanks. "These are truly beautiful Lina, I suddenly understand your question this afternoon. This is different from your usual work, something must have truly inspired you." Slipping into a grin, Sylphiel's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Or dare I hope, _someone_?"

Turning as red as her hair, Lina stammered out a quick denial. Sylphiel's grin only increased a notch, her friend too wise to be turned away. Just when Lina was certain that another tease was heading her way, the other girl frowned slightly in concentration.

"You know Lina, these paintings remind me of someone I used to know years ago. Did you have any painter friends you know outside of school?"

Lina lied through her teeth, firmly denying the idea. There was no way in hell Sylphiel, or anyone else with a right mind, would believe the truth. There were moments when she still doubted, despite the living proof currently resting on a coffee table!

Standing suddenly, Syphiel let the matter drop. "Why don't we take a quick break? I have some cake I'm sure you'd enjoy -"

Instantly Lina was on her feet, all ready halfway across the room. Amelia was only a step behind her, still mumbling a stray comment or two over the poor dragon. In a charitable mood, Lina wrapped an arm around her shoulders reassuringly. It was only after promising to do a nice painting next that Amelia finally let the issue drop.

They were almost to the kitchen when a new voice spoke up, calling out from the kitchen.

"Sylphiel, are you home? I suddenly had some free time tonight, so I thought we might pick up where our earlier conversation left off. I know it's a bit late; if my visit is a problem, just let me know. I can always come back later."

Rounding the corner, Zelgadis came face to face with Sylphiel and her companions. Dumbfounded, he stared at her a moment, taking in her growing look of surprise, embarrassment, and was that…yes, and panic. A moment later he finally registered who she was standing with. On one side stood a smiling Amelia, and next to her, in the process of pulling away from the younger girl, was one _very_ pissed-off Lina.

As his eyes widened in horror over his mistake, Zel's last thought - before Lina's fist connected with his jaw - was an overwhelming curiosity on just how pain-resistant muses really were. After that, he was too busy fighting off a wave of dizzying darkness to do much thinking.


	8. chapter 8

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time. (Again, many, many thanks to those that comment - you drive me to continue and finish this story, thank you!)  
_

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_Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 8_

From one corner of the room, two narrowed purple eyes regarded the growing scene of chaos with amusement. Already Sylphiel had sent Amelia to fetch some ice, while she moved the unconscious muse to the couch. Leave it to Zel to fall into a table corner, only adding to his pain.

Despite the two roommates efforts to assist the injured Zelgadis, Lina was still on the offensive, alternately cursing or beating on the poor muse. After one particularly strong insult, a chiding look from Sylphiel finally cut off her attack. Stalking over to a nearby chair, Lina contented herself with angry glares.

_'My, my Zel…you certainly do have a talent for mischief. One would almost think you were trying to upstage me.'_

Gradually a thin smile worked its way across his face, as narrow and dark as his gaze. '_Well, I can't let you have all the fun, now can I?_'

Xelloss hovered several feet off the ground, in a thin slice of existence meant only for creative spirits. Even though the mortals couldn't see him, Zelgadis certainly could…assuming he was conscious at the time. With his fellow muse currently indisposed, he couldn't resist taking slight advantage of the opening he'd been given. To miss observing such chaos and drama would have been a crime.

'_I must remember to thank Miss Inverse for the nickname. Always nice to be given a way to torment a friend…especially when the gift is wrapped in such a delicious mix of emotions. Pity that Zel got to her first, we could have created some grand works together.'_

Still smiling, he left his spot in favor of heading home. _'Then again, there is a chance we still might…'_

- - -

"Really, Lina…did you have to hit him?"

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she stared straight into Sylphiel's eyes. "It was only a little punch. Anyway, the table did most of the damage. Not my fault you have a table of death in your kitchen." She replied in a huff.

When her friend continued to stare, with that special look of parental disapproval she had, Lina decided that she'd had enough of being on the defensive. "Just how do you know Zel anyway? I only met him the other day and he hasn't been out of my sight…" She trailed off, realization dawning on her. "He visited_ you_ yesterday, didn't he?"

While Sylphiel tried to stammer out a suitable explanation - one that wouldn't earn her a piece of Lina's wrath as well - a light groan caught the attention of both women. They were both at Zel's side in a moment, one with a face of concern, the other one of annoyance.

Belatedly, Sylphiel elbowed Lina. "No more hitting him-" When Lina started to interrupt, she continued in a rush. "At least not tonight, in my home."

"But-"

"If you do, I won't cook for you anymore."

Adopting a look of pure horror, Lina came as close to begging as she ever did, her eyes wide and pathetic. "Please Sylph, anything but that!"

Though she didn't show it, it took most of Sylphiel's willpower not to laugh. There were moments when Lina was far too cute for her own good. "No more hitting?"

"No more hitting…for tonight."

An exasperated sigh was her response.

- - -

'_Three injuries in less than a week…this is a new record for me._' Groaning a bit, Zelgadis tried to open his mouth. He received a lance of pain for his effort. '_Ow! What in the world hit me?_' The past few minutes replayed themselves in his mind. "_That's right _- Lina _did…and then a table couldn't resist joining in as well.'_

Grumbling a bit, he managed to prop himself up into a sitting position. '_I'm really starting to get sick of this trend for hitting me. The next time Lina tries one of her little attacks, she'll be in for a surprise._'

"About time you woke up."

Opening his eyes, two human-bound eyes of flame filled his vision. He jerked back out of reflex, sending the room into a dangerous tilt.

"Joy, I'm still dizzy."

At his flat comment, Lina opened her mouth. A look from Sylphiel cut off whatever she'd been about to say. Zelgadis invested enough of his energy in a smile of gratitude to Sylphiel, a gesture that, when returned, Lina pounced on like a starving lioness.

"That's the last straw! Just how do you two know each other? Someone's been lying to me…and I do _not_ appreciate being left in the dark. I had enough of that from my sister, I'll be damned if I'll take it from my friends…or some crazy muse."

Zelgadis corrected her automatically. "I'm not crazy. I also didn't lie to you."

Lina pinned him in place with a knowledgeable look. "Lying by omission is just as good. You're not getting out of this with some easy loophole of words, Zel. Fess up - **_now_**."

Holding up a hand, Sylphiel saved Zelgadis the effort of a lengthy explanation. "You are right Lina, we owe you the truth." Taking a seat, she gestured for Lina to do the same before continuing. As an afterthought, she looked over at Amelia. "Amelia, would you please run to the store and buy us some more coffee? I have a feeling we will be up for some time."

Grabbing her coat, the younger girl chuckled. "Really, Syphiel…I'm not a kid anymore. You could have just told me this was a private matter."

Sylphiel blushed in response. "I'm sorry Amelia. Still, we _could_ use the coffee. Something gourmet, please." She knew how much the muse depended on caffeine at the best of times. Better to prepare now for the long night ahead.

"Sure thing. Back in a bit."

She waited until the front door had closed before turning back to Lina. Her usually light voice had an almost parental seriousness to it, something that both comforted and set Lina on the defensive. There was a certain level of guilt that automatically came with upsetting Sylphiel; like smudging a finished painting, or refusing to help an old woman across the street. She was raining on an innocent picnic, trampling on a perfect flower. All told, it was a lousy feeling. Not for the first time, Lina wished apologies came more naturally to her.

"Before I get into past issues Lina, I have to make a few things clear. I didn't realize you knew Zelgadis, especially not his true nature. I didn't even know he was still around…I haven't seen him for some time. When Amelia ran into him the other day and brought him back here, I only thought about seeing an old friend again. I didn't stop to think about why he was back…or who might be his new student."

Lina already knew what direction things were going. "So, he used to teach, err…inspire, you then?"

She nodded softly, sparing a glance at the muse. Currently Zelgadis was drifting back to sleep, though he was fighting it all the way.

"When I was young, back when my best art came in the form of finger-painting, I had an imaginary friend. He was tall - well, tall to a child anyway, overly serious, and a bit of a grump." They both shared identical grins at that, grins that turned to laughter when they realized the object of their discussion had lost his battle with sleep. "One day, after I finished one particularly nice drawing, I saw him smile for the first time. After that I threw myself into artwork, promising myself that I would make him smile more."

"Aww…little Sylphiel had a crush!" Lina teased.

She blushed, but didn't deny it. "Things went well for some time…until I hit Jr. High. You know how it is Lina, especially for art students. I was a bit awkward outside of my artwork…over time I had drifted a bit, understanding inks and paints better than other people."

"It's hard to picture you being awkward around other people, Sylph. I've seen you at school and the restaurant. You naturally attract friends; play big sister to almost every girl I know, and are either loved by, or protected by, all the guys." She didn't say it, but they both heard the unspoken though. '_I admire you too.'_

"Much of that is due to him. I was lonely in school, enough that it started bleeding over into all my artwork. By then I realized he was more than an imaginary friend, it didn't surprise me when he saw the signs."

"He can be blind about a lot of things…but other times he's too observant for his own good. The smart-ass knows it too." Lina muttered.

"It came down to an ultimatum. Either I would start reaching out to others, or he would stop inspiring me. Horrified, I tried being social. For the most part, it worked wonderfully."

"For the most part? That sounds a bit ominous."

"Well…"

"Don't you dare go silent on me now. You're too nice to be that cruel."

Encouraged by her humor, Sylphiel continued.

"I started going out with a classmate. He was brilliant Lina, kind as well. We were both on the student council and after working on several major projects, we just hit it off one day. In a lot of ways Zelgadis reminds me of him, or the him I first fell for. He was quiet, soft-spoken, always out to help the younger students. Very devoted to what he loved."

"He was an artist?"

"No, science. He seemed born to invent and tinker. If he wasn't covering a blackboard with formulas, he was buried away in the chemistry lab."

"I take it things changed?"

"The was an accident in the lab one day. It was April Fool's Day…someone had exchanged labels…there was an explosion."

Before Lina could offer any condolences, or even a sound of shock, Sylphiel continued in a rush. "He ended up severely burned across most of his face and chest. He also lost his sight. I tried to be there for him, but he kept pushing everyone away. He started obsessing over his lost sight, believing he could invent something to cure himself, or replace the lost eyes. By the first year of High School, he had shifted his focus to medicine, surgery specifically. Given his age and disability, no one took him seriously. In the end I was the only one left. I kept trying to help, but everyone has their limits. A younger student, a girl devoted to science as well, took my place immediately."

"I…I'm not sure what those two worked on. But one night I was staying late to finish some work for an upcoming art display. Eris showed up, a rag in one hand, a bottle in the other. I hadn't worked with Rezo for nothing - I knew a bottle of chloroform when I saw it. She rambled something about needing a healthy specimen to work with, and how fitting it would be for the ex-girlfriend to offer her life for the greater good."

Lina was speechless for a change, mouth open in obvious shock and horror. "My god…"

Surprisingly, Sylphiel dredged up a thin smile. "I know. Sounds more like a movie than real life, right? People are supposed to hear about crazy things on the evening news, not experience it themselves."

"Did you deck her?"

"Really Lina, do you always have to sound so excited about violence?" She shook her head softly. "No, I didn't attack her. I'm not like you Lina, I'm not brave enough to stand up for myself like that. Instead I ran away, screaming for a teacher, another student, for _anyone_ to hear me. Eventually I found someone, an English teacher that was working late. I was crying to hard to explain anything, but I guided him back to the art room."

"Wait, that crazy girl didn't chase after you?"

"I know, that surprised me too. At the time I assumed that she expected me to find no one else there, or maybe Rezo was supposed to catch me elsewhere. It wasn't until we reached the art room that I realized why she didn't follow. Someone had beaten Eris to within an inch of her life. We walked into the room to find her a bloody mess, while Rezo stood over her body, screaming and crying. His hands were coated in blood, so everyone blamed him."

"Who really did it? Blaming the blind man seems a bit too convenient, but - no offense - you don't look capable of an attack like that."

"Zelgadis."

"Zelgadis!? He strikes with sarcasm, not fists."

"He admitted it himself a week later, after things had settled down. He had watched over me all those years, first in art, then in general. When I was threatened, he took care of her while I ran to safety. The only reason he didn't go after Rezo was that he had already vanished before Rezo arrived."

Lina looked over at the sleeping muse, who once again looked rather innocent when not awake. She wanted to say that he didn't seem the type, but she knew first hand how much people could change when threatened. It should have bothered her, but instead of shock or disgust, she found herself respecting him for it. Anymore, people were quicker to turn to a lawyer than deal with their own problems. Everyone was afraid of saying the wrong thing, hurting feelings that were already pathetically fragile to begin with.

She preferred to stand up for herself, face down anything the world threw at her. Knowing that Zel had his own line that shouldn't be crossed…if anything, she felt closer to the muse. He felt more human, more real in her eyes. True, he could have shown a bit more restraint, but it was easy to focus more on protecting than judging blows. At least he hadn't killed her…she had already seen that he had the power to do so. It should have been easy to kill someone that couldn't hope to hurt you.

Realizing that Sylphiel was still talking, Lina set her thoughts aside for the moment.

"Hurting mortals directly is forbidden for muses…Zelgadis had not only arrived to tell me the truth, but to say goodbye as well. He never said what his punishment was, and looking back on it, I wish I had been strong enough to ask. Instead I was hurt and scared, enough that I refused to go near him. Instead of a goodbye hug, or even a smile of understanding, he had to fade out to the sounds of me crying and yelling."

Lina whistled softly. How did someone respond to a story like that? Sylphiel had been almost kidnapped and possibly murdered, while her imaginary friend and muse defended her by almost killing someone. Her ex-boyfriend gets charged for the crime, and the muse confesses to it just before vanishing for what could have been forever.

She had always looked at her friend as having her life together. Sylphiel was pretty, she had several jobs, a thriving art trade, and more friends that Lina could count. She always smiled at others, comforted their smallest woes, listened with the patience of a saint. Never had she seen her friend play the victim, or even ask for sympathy for any problem. She seemed perfect…but it had come at such a surprising cost.

Oh, it would have been easy to claim it was all an act, some elaborate mask Sylphiel hid behind…but she wasn't that kind of person. Lina had seen enough smiles in her life that she could recognize a fake one instantly. Hell, she'd given enough of them herself over the years; from smiles meant to hide pain, to smiles meant to dazzle judges from the stage. When Sylphiel smiled, it was a smile of warmth and welcome. It sounded a bit cliché, but it was the kind of smile that came with slogans of baseball and apple pie, something meant to symbolize family and a life of joy.

"I've got to admit it Sylphiel, I'm not really sure how to respond to your story. It is a lot to take in at once and I wasn't the one that had to endure it. I have learned one thing though."

Sylphiel looked up, sorrow fading to curiosity.

"You have a reason for disliking violence…one that I need to respect as much as I can. I can't promise to be a saint, but I can try improving a bit. One bit of warning though; if I can't beat on idiots as much, I may turn to yelling at them more...and all that yelling will take more energy"

Lina's humor was rewarded with a smile, and after a bit of movement, a hug. "Energy that only my cooking can replace?"

"Of course!"

They were still laughing and joking when Amelia returned.


	9. chapter 9

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time._ _Also, the song 'Silhouette' is by Driveblind, and I definitely recommend a listen to it._

_A big thank you to everyone that has commented so far! (More C&C is always welcome) Don't worry if updates are slow, it's just due to health reasons. (Bug me and I'll get to work!)   
_

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_ Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 9_

Zelgadis didn't miss the faint sound of the front door being closed. Rolling over a bit, he immediately focused on three bright red numbers that stood out across the dark room.

"5:03. I don't care how liberal her school is with their open door policy…even they won't be open this early. It can't be breakfast, not with the speed she eats at. So that means…" He swung his legs over the edge of the couch, struggling into a sitting position, blankets wrapped around him like a cloth cocoon.

It didn't take long to shuffle his way into the kitchen, grumbling over the low temperature all the way. Only Lina would choose to save money by turning down the thermostat so much, not that it really affected her, as she was hardly ever home. In the last three days it had gotten even worst. Either she was still furious about the incident at Slyphiel's, or something else had happened during that talk the two women had had…one he had struggled to listen to, only to have his body betray him for a bit of sleep.

Absently he hit the heat tab on the coffee machine, other hand fumbling about for a mug from the cupboard. Selecting his favorite, he set it in the appropriate slot, already imagining the comforting taste of his favorite drink.

A few minutes later he was back on the couch, drink in hand. He took a few sips, savoring the slight burn that accompanied his caffeine fix. Staring over the top of his mug, he noticed the clock again.

No matter her motive, it was obvious that Lina was avoiding him. It didn't matter what ungodly hour he woke up at, how late he forced himself to stay up waiting, she still managed to avoid him each day. She woke up earlier everyday, came home later, somehow managing to outmaneuver him on instinct alone. He'd even thought about cornering her during the night, but visions of the resulting fight had stopped that plan cold.

With a sigh of irritation, Zelgadis set his empty mug down on a nearby end table, the stoneware and polished wood meeting with a sharp sound that made him wince a bit. Really, why did the issue matter in the first place? He was Muse, being ignored came with the job. Hadn't he been the one to point out to Lina just how long she'd ignored him in the past?

_Ah, but that was different._

Zelgadis gave a start at the sudden thought. What was so different about it?

_She knows you exist now. She's not ignoring inspiration…she's ignoring **you**._

He scowled darkly, trying to ignore his new line of thought. What did it matter if some mortal ignored him? She was just an assignment, one that came with a time limit even before he accepted the job. He only cared about the artwork, took pride in being the inspiration behind some wonderful artistic creation. He didn't care who the artist was.

_Bullshit. Now you're just spouting that whitewash they print on the starter's handbook._

The sound of something breaking cut through his reflection. Looking down, he noticed his white-knuckled grip on the handle of his coffee mug…a handle that had been cleanly separated from the mug itself.

"Damn! That was one of my favorites too…" Starting at the broken cup a bit more, it finally sunk it that he had done the damage.

_Who was it that was just saying they didn't care? That she was just some mortal, some assignment?_

Dropping the bit of stoneware in disgust, he got to his feet, stalking toward the bathroom. A nice, hot shower would clear his mind. Then he could worry about how to deal with Lina. One way or another he would talk to her before the week was out, even if it meant walking to her school and dragging her out of a classroom.

Halfway through his shower, Zelgadis swore loudly to himself. "Okay, change of plans. First I'll replace that mug, even if I have to glue the damned thing back together by hand…_then_ I deal with Lina. Bad enough I have to confront her on this…I don't need her killing me for breaking something as well."

- - -

Lina wandered in the general direction of her car, a slight dancing lightness to her step. Eyes half-closed, she dodged around parked cars with familiar ease. MP3 player blaring in her ears, she mouthed the chorus to Silhouette perfectly, the male tenor line easily within her range. One nice thing about an art college, there wasn't much she could do that would warrant a strange look from the other students. Choir students were always running through songs in their head, often mouthing the words without realizing it; while art students would often walk cross-campus splattered in a bizarre mis-match of paints, looking more like some odd throwback to the 60s than anything else.

As the song drew to a close, she flicked off her player and removed her headphones. As much as she loved music, she also hated headphones; the larger models were itchy and collected every stray bit of hair and fur imaginable, the smaller ear bits were just uncomfortable and usually fell out at the worst times. If she didn't need music so much, usually to keep her sanity during a particularly boring class or frustrating painting, she wouldn't bother.

"One of these days they'll drop that stupid rule about no stereos. We don't all enjoy listening to heavy metal as glass-shattering volumes…"

After making a face, she pushed the issue aside in favor of finding her keys. If memory served, her car was only another aisle or so over, most likely hidden behind some giant pickup truck or SUV. Awkwardly balancing her backpack in one hand, it only took her three tried to fish her keys out of the front pocket, freeing them from a sea of crumpled food wrappers. Staring at the wrappers a moment, she made a mental note to stock up on munchies on the way home. She couldn't always expect Sylphiel to bail her out with free food in the middle of the day.

She reached her car a minute or so later, unlocking the door and throwing her bag in without really thinking about it. It wasn't until she was in the middle of putting on her sunglasses, one foot inside the car, that she felt someone watching her. Pulling out of the car sharply, she looked around, all the while shifting her keys in her hand, until a blade stuck out between each finger, her hand in a fist. Common sense told her to just get in the car and drive off, but instinct told her to stand her ground, that this was something she needed to deal with.

Just as she was about to give up her search, she noticed someone. The man was taller than her, slim in an athletic sort of way. He was dressed in tailored black pants and a cream dress shirt, a dark purple tie dangling from the collar. Except for the fact that he was missing a suit jacket, he looked like some model for a business apparel catalog. By the time she looked at his face, she'd thrown out the model idea. Like Zelgadis, the man had an odd hair color; dark purple rather than lavender, a style that hung perfectly straight, with bangs that cut off just above his eyes, the rest cut off just above his shoulders. On an impulse she tried to catch a glimpse of his ears, but they disappeared behind his hair.

"Is there something you want?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Lina winced at the question. The phrasing left her wide open for some snide remark or dirty taunt, but the stranger had unsettled her enough that she hadn't thought of that beforehand.

Instead of some crude comment, the man only smiled, a thin thing that didn't quite reach his closed eyes. After a moment he opened them, the dark purple a striking sight, but the style was clearly nothing human. The combination of the two was enough to make Lina gasp softly. Thinking back on it, Zel's eyes were a bit odd as well, an in-between cross of the two styles. Even with the recent advances in eye surgery, it seemed unlikely that this man was human.

_Great, as if one mythical creature weren't enough in my life. First a muse and now…what, a sprite, a demon?_

"You weren't supposed to be a painter, you know."

Of all the responses Lina had expected, that wasn't it. Dumbfounded, she raised her left hand to her forehead, fingers rubbing her temples. Just what she needed, another headache in her life.

"What are you talking about?" She forced out the words, biting them off sharply. "And explain quickly, before I decide that beating the tar out of you might make me feel better."

His smile only widened more, turning into something half-way authentic. "Such fire…you're wasted on those fools." With a sigh of regret, he shrugged before continuing. "Blame it on fate, destiny…whoever you believe pulls the strings of eternity. You were cheated out of your true purpose in life, all to save a bit of face for the company. You see, they made a mistake, one they didn't want to deal with. So they shuffle some employees around, pull one unfortunate mortal from her true path only to stick her on another, then they sit back and breathe easy…the problem neatly swept under the rug."

Lina blinked several times, trying to digest his explanation. "I sure as hell hope you plan on elaborating, buddy."

"Ah, buddy already? My, my Lina…you move rather quickly." Still smiling, he leaned forward, folding his arms on the top of her car, head nestled atop them, tie flopped out across the sunny metal.

"I'll show you how 'quickly' I move!" Jumping up a bit, her arm darted across the roof of her car, neatly snagging his tie in her hands. Pulling sharply, she smiled at the variety of strangling noises he managed to make. Finally she let go, snickering a bit when he took the time to straighten out his tie.

"Ahem, as I was saying…" He resumed his former position, though only after carefully tucking away his tie, firmly out of her reach. "You see, it all starts with a mistake Zelgadis made regarding his latest charge-"

Lina cut in. "I know all about that, so you can drop that look."

He feigned innocence. "What look?"

"The look for someone ratting out the biggest secret they know about a rival."

The stranger pouted, managing to look halfway cute and innocent.

Blinking a few times, Lina bit back a slight curse. _Cute? Where in the hell did that come from? Come to think of it, I don't even know this guy's name! What is it with these people and skipping introductions?_

Before he could continue, she held up a hand to stop him. "Wait, first thing's first. Just who in the hell are you, anyway?"

Pulling back from the car, the man gave bowed with a slight flourish. "Xelloss, at your service my dear."

"Cut the flattery, we both know better than that."

"Sharp eyes, as I expected."

She didn't rise to his bait. "I take it you're a muse as well?"

"First rank, of course. Several specialties."

Deciding that she didn't like the look he was giving her, Lina blushed a bit before clearing her throat. "You were saying, about some mistake?"

"All work and no play, Lina-"

"If you keep dancing around the subject, I'm going to drive home. You had something to say, so say it already!"

He opened his mouth, then closed it abruptly. Letting his smile fade a bit, he started again. "As you wish, though you're taking all the fun out of it. So Zelgadis made a mistake, one big enough that the higher ups decided that they needed to stick him with someone else, immediately. Who better than another local talent, one with no connection to any sort of drawing? You were a singer, it seemed a safe enough alternative. But as with your friend before you, he made a mistake."

"And?"

"You have a passionate soul, my dear…one that Zelgadis is hardly equipped to handle. No offense to your friend, but he is used to a gentle, tame sort of spirit; a fiery flower such as yourself is out of his league. You needed, _need_, a Muse with the ambition to lead you to the future you deserve. Not to mention that extra spark to help you show the world just what you're truly capable of."

"I suppose you're referring to none other than yourself?"

He just smirked. "If Zelgadis had been paying attention, instead of sulking over his previous charge, you wouldn't be here now." At her inquiring look, he explained. "The higher ups noticed the change in Zelgadis, they figured that enough time had passed, that it would be safe to steer you into art. You had the talent, it was just that singing was supposed to be your primary instead. So they switched things. An attentive Muse could have kept you on your right path, given you the strength to overcome such a hurdle. I assume you remember a certain backstage fight?"

Lina gasped, eyes wide. "You're telling me that was a setup!?"

Xellos was at her side in an instant, one hand covering her fist. Lina didn't even realize she was bleeding until Xellos's hand forced hers apart, pulling her keys away. The metal had cut open her palm in several places, shallow cuts that were more blood than anything else. Ignoring the pain, she pinned Xelloss in place with a dark stare.

"Why are you telling me this? Do you have something against Zel, or are you just wanting to take his position?"

"I just hate seeing good talent go to waste. You were meant for great things Lina, things that they had no right to rob you of. I'm a Muse; to see such talent wasted…it is a crime of the highest order."

"I don't buy that high and mighty goal for a second, but I'm too furious to dig up the real reason." She snatched her keys back, hissing when the metal hit her cuts. "Okay Xelloss, you got my attention. I'm going to think on this a while, so you can back off for now. Come back later, maybe we'll talk about it more. I make no promises though."

He smiled again, eyes closed, emotion unreadable. "Of course." Then he was gone.

- - -

Lina drove home in silence, too busy thinking to be bothered with any sort of distraction, even music. As much as she hated the idea, Xelloss had given her a lot to consider. He'd also reopened the door to her past, specifically the idea of singing.

"I promised to give up singing that day. To go back now…what was that argument with Luna for, then?"

Luna…there was a person she hadn't thought about in a while. It wasn't as if they hated each other, more that they respected the others' personal space. Luna had her own life, one taken up by her restaurant and her boyfriend, teaching the odd evening class when time allowed. They still visited now and then during the holidays, shared a phone call now and then.

Back when singing had been her life, it had been Luna of all people that supported her. Her older sister had driven her to every show, paid the bill for every lesson. After tearing into that final irate mother, it was Luna that sat her down, asked if singing was really her dream.

_"Lina…"_

_Looking up, Lina managed some sort of reply in-between sniffles. _

_"Do you really want to be a singer, Lina? More than anything else in the world?"_

_"Y-yes."_

_"Tell me the truth now. Are you willing to stand up to anyone for your dream? That mother won't be the last to attack you, Lina. The farther you walk down this road, the harder it will get."_

_"…Really?"_

_Luna gave her a hard look. "I won't always be there to help you Lina. If you aren't willing to stand up for your dream…then maybe this isn't the right thing for you."_

_"But-"_

_A single look from her sister silenced her. "Lina…my restaurant will open a month from now. I won't be able to help you as much. If you want my help, you have to earn it. You have to make a choice and stick with it. You've been doing well in art lately, haven't you? Your teacher mentioned the upcoming show."_

_Lina brightened noticeably at that. _

_"Okay, let's make a promise. If you take first place in that show…do you want to focus on art after that, or stick with singing? I'll only have the time to support you in one, not to mention the cost. You pick one or the other after that, okay?"_

_"Okay, Luna…I promise."_

It seemed like such an obvious choice at the time. She could keep dealing with the world of singing; the cold and jealous looks of the other contestants, the angry accusations of the various mothers, or she could go into art. She never saw her opponents at the art shows, never had to deal with angry parents. You just turned in your work and the teacher handled the rest. Oh, she could choose to attend the show, but it wasn't required. Why deal with the social politics, when instead she could focus on the artwork itself?

Now, knowing that such a path had been chosen for her…didn't that ruin things? She should be angry, furious at the world for ruining things. But had she really been happy before? Instead of just enjoying the songs, she had always worried about the others, about the dark looks and whispered insults. Did she really love singing enough to put up with all of that? But was the art circuit only as easy as it was due to some outside tampering?

"Enough!" Slamming her hands down on the steering wheel, Lina cut off her circle of thoughts.

She'd been sitting in the driveway for ten minutes already, oblivious to the outside world. Now, focused once again, she glared at her home.

"Well, there's one person I can ask to shed a bit of light on this mess, and he's in my house."

After Sylphiel's story, Lina had avoided the muse, afraid of giving something away. It was an awkward subject, one she wasn't sure about. Was the whole thing a secret, something best left in the past? Her curiosity wanted to know Zel's side of the story, her caution wanted to leave well enough alone. Now, with the addition of her own problem, it was time to sit down and have a long talk with Zelgadis.

"Good thing I don't have any important classes tomorrow. I have a feeling it will take more than an hour or two to go through everything."

Grabbing her bag, Lina headed to the door, satisfied for the moment with her choice.


	10. chapter 10

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. If I was making money off this, I'd be rich...but I'm not. I'm just a poor college student with too much free time._

_A big thank you to everyone that has commented so far! (More C&C is always welcome) Sorry for the delay on this chapter, thank you for your patience! Also, big thank you to Kasai to Kasumi for pointing out the Sylphiel name mess at the end. (Dratted spell-check...evil I say! l's)  
_

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_ Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 10_

It was sheer luck, though he probably didn't realize it - probably, because who knew what other powers a muse had access to - that Lina returned home to find a sleeping Zelgadis. All thoughts of a long talk fell apart as she stumbled across the muse passed out on the couch, oblivious to the world.

Lina almost felt a bit responsible…though any guilt over the matter was instantly suppressed. Sure, she'd been getting up at inhuman hours every morning…but she'd been trying to avoid Zel, not wake him up. Was it her fault if he was a light sleeper?

_Maybe he was worried about you. What if he wanted to talk, to explain that night at Sylphiel's?_

Lina snorted at the thought. _Then any lost sleep was his own doing. I'll talk to him when I'm good and ready, not before. He's lucky none of his little ambush ideas succeeded, assuming he had any planned at all. _

Looking down at Zelgadis, she was forced to revise her opinion of him. He might have looked innocent just then, but he'd obviously done things that went against any harmless image he gave off. If he could pull off the kind of attack he'd managed on Eris, he could notice her avoiding him and try to correct it.

Bristling a bit, she started to turn away, then stopped herself. She was letting other people form her opinions…something Luna had long ago taught her to avoid. She wasn't Sylphiel, wasn't anything like her. Hadn't she beaten up people when they deserved it? Hell, she drove a paintbrush into Zel's leg shortly after meeting him. If they had met in the kitchen instead, wouldn't she have done the same with a knife? And Xelloss…who knew what kind of motives he had behind that little history lesson of his, assuming any of it was true to begin with. His arrival was too convenient, perfectly planned to affect her opinion.

"You have the devil's own luck, Zelgadis. I'm starting to calm down, and by tomorrow I'll be ready to hear your side of things in a better frame of mind. Whatever your reason for being so sleepy, be grateful for it. It saved you from a nasty argument tonight."

Shaking her head a bit in amusement, she turned to leave. Halfway into the kitchen she noticed a familiar shape out of the corner of her eye, sitting in the middle of the table. Without missing a step she grabbed the mug, altering her course a bit. She slipped it into place in the cupboard, never noticing the price sticker on the bottom, nor the plastic bag in the garbage. Turning off the light behind her, she decided to turn in early for a change. She'd need all her wits for the next day.

- - -

"Rise and shine, muse-boy! You already got one night's reprieve, don't be greedy now"

Two sapphire eyes snapped open instantly, any sign of sleep having fled in favor of the terror now reflected in the blue orbs. It certainly didn't help that he was being shaken rather roughly.

"What in the hell?" Then he focused on her. "Lina!"

The next moment Lina was holding air. Without missing a beat she turned a smile on a chair across the room, her smile only widening in satisfaction when he winced. It was obvious that he expected violence at any moment.

_Guilty conscious, eh Zel? Serves you right for that little stunt at Sylphiel's. Now we're even. _

Aloud, she chose a slightly different approach. "Bit jumpy, aren't you Zel? Anything you'd care to confess?"

When he noticeably paled, she swallowed her laughter…though it wasn't easy. "It was an accident, I swear!"

She blinked at him, smile fading away. Then she blinked again, starting to frown. He tried burying himself in the chair, as if the cushion would suddenly spring up and devour him. It would hurt, but at that moment anything sounded better than another round with an angry Lina.

Several things happened at once then; Zelgadis woke up enough to remember that he was indeed a Muse, with all the powers and benefits that came with it, Lina realized that the scales weren't quite even, and both knew something violent would occur as soon as Lina finished jumping across the coffee table.

As Lina's elbow started on a direct course for the top of Zelgadis's head, he decided to use the same trick he had at their first meeting. He was a Muse, and as such could choose just how much of himself to commit to the mortal realm. That first night she had caught him off guard…this time he'd avoid her attack completely. Having decided that, he still couldn't keep from closing his eyes, tensing slightly in preparation of her attack.

Instead of hearing the satisfying sound of a curse from Zelgadis, or feeling the jolt of her blow connecting with his head, Lina found herself face down on the chair cushion; one arm pinned awkwardly beneath her, the other wedged oddly between herself and one arm of the chair. Tilting her head up a bit, she caught the hazy outline of Zelgadis's shirt. Looking up a bit higher, she caught sight of a company tag…the kind usually sewn on the inside of a shirt.

Zelgadis snapped his eyes open for the second time that day, this time prompted by a shriek from Lina. Instantly he was on his feet, looking for something dangerous. When the room turned up empty, it finally dawned on him to check the chair.

He was met with an amusing sight; even the threat of further violence almost wasn't enough to keep him from laughing. At the very least he did allow himself a victory smirk.

He had to be laughing, Lina was sure of it. With a bit of struggling she freed herself from the awkward position, flopping down in the offending chair. She sent a glare of death at Zel, rubbing the kinks out of her arms.

"You have one chance to apologize you pervert, and you only get that because I'm still trying to get the feeling back in my arms."

His mouth fell open in shock. "P-pervert!? Where you get that?"

Lina crossed her arms, then hastily uncrossed them with a curse of pain. "Think about our positions back there for just a moment. Really think about it, from an outside perspective."

When he blushed bright red, she nodded a bit. "Exactly. Ghost or not, I should kill you for that little stunt."

It was his turn to glare. "I'm a _Muse_, not a ghost. They're only second-rate spirits at best. You're comparing humans to monkeys."

Opening her mouth to retort, at the last moment she changed her mind. "No, I will not spend the day bickering again!" She cut off Zel with a look. "We're going out today. We have some things to talk about, but not here."

"Will a public place keep you from attacking me?"

She regarded him with narrowed eyes. "I don't know, will a public place keep you from being an idiot…not to mention keeping your hands to yourself."

He blushed again. "I'm sorry, all right?! I didn't mean for that to happen…but I'm not going to sit around and just let you hit me whenever you feel like it, either."

It was her turn to feel embarrassed. "I'm sorry, okay?"

He stared at her in shock. "What was that?"

A couch cushion smacked him in the head with a loud whoosh of air. "Just shut up and get ready. I still haven't eaten breakfast yet because of you -" At her glare he cut off whatever he'd been about to say. "Bottom line, lunch is on you."

- - -

"Weren't you the one that originally forbid me from going outside?"

Lina ignored Zel's grumbling. The muse had started sulking the moment he stepped outside, hunching into his leather jacket - an old fashioned bomber-type, specially swiped from the local community theater just for Lina, even if it was two sizes too big - as much as possible. For the first time she was actually starting to hate that it was oversized. Between the jacket, its large collar and equally big hat, he looked too much like a kid playing dress-up.

"Aren't you the one that proved me wrong? You dug your own grave on this one, Zel…now you get to suffer."

He slid into the empty booth, fixing her with a dark glare the moment she slipped into place across from him. She could almost hear him screaming that he hated social settings.

_That, or he's already decided that he's getting chewed out_. Well, he was in for a slight change of pace then.

"Do you bicker with all your assignments like this?"

The question, asked causally over the rim of an over-large fold out menu, caught them both by surprise. Belatedly Lina cursed her mistake, while Zelgadis looked more like a deer about to meet a semi head-on. Swearing softly, Lina snapped her fingers, breaking the growing tension.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way." Sighing a bit, she set the menu aside, meeting his gaze directly. "I want to talk to you about some things, more than just that night at Sylphiel's. We did a lot of talking after you passed out, but I learned some other things a few days later that didn't help."

"So you _were_ avoiding me?"

She shrugged. "Yes and no. It scared me a bit, the idea of you having a violent side. You don't look the type." He made a negative sound, but she plowed on before he could say anything. "Part of me wanted to kick your ass to the curb, make sure you never set foot in my home, got close to any of my friends."

"But?"

"But I'm just as bad in my own way, aren't I? Okay, so you messed up some girl who was trying to kill Sylphiel. Justified cause in my book. I've hurt people for far less…would hurt them just as much in a similar situation. It's a bit intimidating, but I also respect you for it."

Their waitress arrived then, putting a hold on the conversation. Without blinking Lina ordered several items, restraining herself in favor of their talk, while Zel stuck with a simple cup of coffee. Scowling, Lina added a bowl of soup to his order. Once the woman was gone, she glared at him.

"You don't eat enough, it's weird. A bowl of soup won't kill you…unless you're even stranger than I thought."

A few moments later his coffee arrived. He added what he wanted, smiling after the first sip. "You never answered my question." He murmured, quiet enough that Lina would have missed it if she hadn't been waiting for him to say something.

She made a face at him. "Okay, okay…I'll admit it! I was avoiding you. Happy now?" At his resulting smirk, she rolled her eyes skyward, swallowing her annoyance…though it wasn't easy. "I had no idea what to say to you. It isn't everyday I find out a muse once saved my best friend's life. How do you thank someone for that without sounding cheap?"

He raised an eyebrow, staring at her. She expected him to hit her with another sarcastic remark, or maybe accuse her of lying. Something in her face must have reassured him, because he made a slight contented sound, then went back to his drink.

"You said _things_, plural. What else was there?"

Lina opened her mouth, but her mind went black. Using her own drink for a cover, she sipped her soda, mind in overdrive on what to say. Hadn't she planned on confronting him about the past? Possibly throwing her newfound information from Xelloss in his face? There were so many little things she wanted to know…yet every instinct screamed at her not to bring Xelloss, or any of his information, up just yet. But she was brutally honest, always had been…why was she stalling now?

"Well?"

The soft inquiry caught her off-guard, and she went with the first thing to come to mind.

"Just how did you become my muse anyway? Sylphiel mentioned something about you working for her, and getting punished for saving her ass."

Halfway into another swig of his coffee, Zelgadis choked, coughing violently. Things only became more complicated with the arrival of their waitress. By the time things settled down, they were both silent again, each giving their meal an absurd amount of attention.

After a good ten minutes of silence, Lina decided that enough was enough. "All right, you've stalled long enough. Are you going to answer my question or not?"

He ignored her, flagging down the waitress for a refill. Furious, Lina had a brief debate on how to handle the situation. Nothing felt sweeter than clobbering an annoyance, but that wouldn't get her answers. That left trickery, yet another thing a beautiful, young art student like herself excelled at.

_If you can't beat 'em…blackmail 'em._

Lina plastered a cheerful smile - the one that usually sent her co-workers fleeing in fear, they knew her moods…that much cute was deadly - and turned to the waitress.

"Kira," Then she turned a bit, catching Zel's eye. "Is Sylphiel working this shift?"

The young girl smiled, nodding. "She's just starting , came in ten minutes ago…though you must've recognized her cooking. You want me to get her?"

Lina's smile turned sly when she noticed Zelgadis pale a bit. "Sure. Zel here," She gestured at Zelgadis with a wicked shine in her eyes. "Is an old friend. I'm sure Sylphiel would love to visit on her break."

"Okay, I get the hint." He hissed, grabbing her arm.

Reflexively she twisted away, cheering in triumph. "Never mind, Kira. We'll just swing by her place later. Don't want to bother her during work."

The woman nodded, pink-dyed pigtails bobbing energetically. "Sure thing, Lina! You working later today?"

"Nah, I took a few days off. College stuff. I'll be back next week."

A few minutes later Kira was off to help another table, and Lina wasted no time in hitting Zelgadis with one of her death glares. "Are you going to answer now? Or do I come up with some other way of backing you into a corner?"

He grumbled a bit, mostly for show. Stubborn he might be, but not suicidal. If there was one thing he had learned from Lina so far - usually by way of physical violence - it was that she had certain lines that one should never cross…especially if they wanted to stay in one piece. She wasn't going to back down on this, and he didn't want her hounding his every breath for the next week or more.

"I helped Sylphiel for years…broke several rules during that time." He paused, looking away for a moment. "…I don't really know why they chose you, managers never seem to tell their workers why they're given one assignment instead of another. I've seen enough of humanity to know that's a universal problem." At her nod, he continued. "I assume it was due to your talent in art. After leaving Sylphiel, they handed me your folder the next day, asked me to follow your painting, help you expand your technique and subject matter, find flaws and the like." He smirked a bit, meeting her stare. "There was a particular need to increase your imagination and emotion."

"Taunt away, Zel…I have a loooong memory."

He coughed slightly, moving on. "Most of the time you didn't need help…but those two faults only seemed to increase as your technical skill did. I was about to give up, until the night you finally listened to me."

"Why did you appear, anyway?"

He shrugged, leaning back, meal long finished. "To be honest, I have no idea. I've tried asking the higher ups, but I haven't gotten a response yet. Either they're ignoring me, or they haven't gotten my messages."

"Can't you just…zap yourself there or something?"

He frowned at her, sighing in exasperation. "No, I can't just _zap_ myself there! If I could, don't you think I would have already?"

"Geez, I was just asking. Really Zel, you're a bit too high strung."

He made another strangled sound, before crossing his arms and burying his head in them.

"Overly dramatic too."

"Shut up." Came a muffled reply.

- - -

"So…do you plan on telling me anything else?"

They'd been walking for some time, having left the restaurant hours earlier. At first Lina had considered just driving home, but it was still fairly early, and she wanted to take another shot at getting some answers. There was a fair-sized park not far from her place, the kind of park aimed more at joggers and bikers rather than children. It had seemed like the perfect place to resume their conversation.

Leave it to Zelgadis to clam up on her. The muse hadn't said a word the entire time, instead looking at their surrounds with a thoughtful gaze, enough that Lina wasn't sure how to interrupt. Her stomach had solved the problem for her. After a brief stop at a nearby hot dog cart, she decided to take advantage of the change in mood.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"You've been living in my house for a while now; I know your first name, your job, and not much else. I have a recommendation from Sylphiel; to be honest though, you earned more trust from your defense job than any kind things she told me. Don't you think you owe me some answers, Zelgadis?"

He threw up his arms in frustration. "You shouldn't have seen me in the first place! I broke the rules when it came to Sylphiel…but you didn't need that much help. Any muse worth his title could have helped you from the shadows."

His outburst startled her, Zelgadis was usually the calm one between the two of them. Even startled, she noticed his hesitation. That was the second time he's hedged on something important, steered the conversation in a slightly different direction. There was also the issue of his being assigned to her. Either he'd been completely in the dark about it - not that she'd put creative truth-telling past Xelloss - he was lying, or both muses were partially correct.

_I hate mind-games. At least a punch solves something directly._

"Zel -" The sight of a familiar blond jogging toward them derailed Lina's train of thought.

"Lina!" Filia called, waving.

Dressed in an outfit that practically screamed 'jogger', Filia approached the pair, stopping a short distance away with a series of tired breaths.

"Hey Filia…I didn't know you jogged here."

"Usually…don't. Gym…closed today."

Lina sighed. "Catch your breath, then we'll talk."

Smiling in gratitude, Filia followed the advice. A short time later she looked, and sounded, more like her usual self. "Sorry about that."

"Not a problem. I wonder where you get the energy though…especially with all the running around you've been doing this week."

Immediately Filia's eyes lit up. "That's right! You're coming to the concert tomorrow night, right?"

"Sylphiel picked up some tickets last week. Don't worry, we'll be near the front as always. Nothing but the best seats for an Inverse!"

"Will your…_friend_ be attending as well?"

Without missing a beat, Zelgadis nodded. "Certainly, I wouldn't miss it. Both Lina and Sylphiel have often praised your singing."

While Filia blushed at the comment, Lina stared at him open-mouthed. Even when he had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing, the look on her face was worth it.

"Care to introduce your friend, Lina?"

Shooting Zelgadis a heated glare, one he met with his best look of innocence, she gestured at him. "Filia, meet Zelgadis. Zelgadis, this is my friend from college, Filia." While the two exchanged greetings, Lina had a sneaky idea. "Zelgadis is actually an old friend of Sylphiel -"

Filia cut her off with a wide-eyed look, grabbing her elbow and pulling her aside. "Don't tell me you're letting her snag another one, Lina! Sylphiel already has so many chasing her…would it really be so bad to go after one yourself?" She whispered, looking past Lina a moment to eye Zelgadis.

Standing a few feet away, Zelgadis wondered what the two women were talking about. About the time he'd worked up the nerve to interrupt, Lina suddenly let out an angry screech. The next moment a blur of crimson was hot on the heels of a fleeing Filia, shouting at the blond the entire way.

All but forgotten, Zelgadis shook his head. _Of all the things in this world, I never thought I'd be thankful for the chaos that seems to follow her around! It might be a pain at times…but I can always count on it for a timely interruption!_


	11. chapter 11

_Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer here, I wish I owned Slayers and everything with it, but I don't. Just another person that can't stop writing!  
_

_I live! Very sorry for the long delay on this chapter, just couldn't seem to find a beginning that worked. A big thank you to everyone that has commented, alerted, etc. so far! (More C&C is always welcome) And for those that asked: Yes, a few others from the Slayers cast will be making an appearance down the road. (coughGourrycough) Amelia's already showed up, check past chapters! (Music Notes: Without Taking the Jewel is a great song from Chrono Cross.)  
_

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_ Blind Leap of Creativity - Chapter 11_

Violins pushed forward suddenly, the flurry of notes leading the others into another crescendo. At the height of the movement, a single, smooth gesture from the conductor cut off all sound, plunging the song into a sudden finale.

Silence hung in the air for a few moments, before the entire audience broke into applause, cheers, and wide smiles. Those on stage bloomed under the praise, each member rising to his or her feet in turn, the entire orchestra taking their last bow for the night. That done, they would make their way offstage, taking their chair and instrument stand with them. For those with larger instruments, several students from the earlier choir performances were standing by to assist. All in all the transition went pretty smoothly, leaving the stage free for the next segment of the concert; duets and soloists.

"You should have told me your college had such a wonderful music program, Lina. I know several Muses that would have loved tonight's performance…assuming a few aren't already working with some of those musicians." Zelgadis whispered, waiting for the applause to die down a bit.

Lina only smiled at him, proud at the acknowledgement. Their school had never been the type to stand out in the bigger competitions, but their ensemble work was another story. They were no Julliard, but their students often went on to join the bigger orchestras, if they didn't form groups of their own first. Though she'd seen dozens of awards on the walls of friends, somehow it meant more to see Zelgadis applauding and complimenting them, and not just because he was a Muse.

Looking up from her program, Sylphiel waved it a bit to get their attention. "Filia's up next, you two!"

"Now you're really in for a treat, Zel. We're not proud of Filia just because she's our friend."

The lights began to dim, signaling the start of another performance. Filia emerged from behind one of the stage-left curtains, smiling brightly. Dressed in a beautiful white gown, her long blond hair had been pulled back into a stylish braid, several white rose pins peeking out here and there. Making her way to center stage without a word, she briefly adjusted the microphone stand already waiting.

_She looks like some holy maiden, or a princess waiting for her lover, _Lina mused, filing the idea away for future reference. Realizing that she had ever intention of painting the new idea, she shot a glance over to Zelgadis.

Sitting to her right, the Muse gave no sign that he was behind the sudden inspiration. Instead he was focusing intently on the stage, obviously caught up in the music of the evening. Beyond him, Sylphiel briefly met her inquiring look with one of her own, until Lina shook her head. Ideas could wait for another time - the night belonged to Filia, and all the others giving their all for the performance.

Glancing at the program again, Lina noted the songs her friend was scheduled to sing. By tradition, soloists past their second year sang two songs; the first could be any song as long as it was someone else's, but the second had to be a song they'd created….though a bit of help was allowed on the melody line, if the singer had no experience with instruments.

_Without Taking the Jewel…good choice. It's not often people risk a game song. Good to see someone standing apart for a change, especially after last year's Broadway love song deluge. If I had to hear Memory one more time, I was going to snap!_

Gathering her thoughts, Lina didn't have time to reread the second name as the first notes of Filia's song began. It was a soft introduction, enough that Lina was surprised to hear it. _Imagine, an audience capable of complete silence! _

Shifting in his seat a bit, Zelgadis caught her eye. From the slightly smug grin on his face, she quickly realized who was behind the unusual quiet. Raising an eyebrow, she asked for an explanation without words.

His resulting look and posture spoke volumes. _I can't do everything, but at least I can make these people focus a bit…give those that wish to the chance to appreciate it. You have a problem with it?_

At her approving smile, he dropped his defensiveness. _You did good, Zel. Very good._

They both focused on Filia's performance after that, each wrapped in their own thoughts. In Lina's case, it was easy to let the relaxing music take her, falling into a kind of focus-not focus.

Music had always pulled her in, as far back as she could remember. Soothing melodies were like drifting in water; enveloping, wandering…loosing all sense of time as the notes took her where they would. Luna had always chided her for her lack of attention. It was one thing to fall into the song, but another to look like she was half-asleep on the stage, no matter how much her voice proved the opposite.

After a while she switched to livelier songs; complicated tempo, dynamic markings, a wide range of notes. Anything Luna could find that might force her to focus, to extend herself. It was like a game; every song a new level, a greater distance to the goal. When even that hadn't been enough, they had turned to other languages.

_There's something odd about a twelve year old singing in Italian and Russian._

The sound of applause broke through her thoughts, the sudden sound reflexively forcing her to her feet. Blinking twice, she quickly started to clap, the first in the following standing ovation.

When Zelgadis rose to stand beside her, she ignored his odd look. The last thing she needed was a comment from him on her lack of respect for such creation. _As if I'm not going to crucify myself with guilt as it is._

- - -

_'Ever the fighter, eh Lina?'_

From his choice front-row seat in the balcony, Xelloss observed the red-head with a knowing smirk. If any of his seat-mates noticed how he paid more attention to the fifth row than to the performers, they didn't show it.

_'I try so hard to open your eyes, expand your horizons…yet you resist at every turn. I'm beginning to think that a subtle approach just won't work at this late stage.'_

With a disapproving look, he shifted his gaze to a different attendee. _'Or is there another that keeps you on that path? There is a fine line between guardian and jailor, Lina. You shouldn't let the guilt of another force you in another direction. Their mistakes are their own, never were they yours to bear. Friend or not, there comes a time when you must think of yourself first.'_

Concern over being detected finally drove him to look away. Zelgadis might have been a lower-class Muse, but he was known for having a sixth sense about some things.

_'No, better to stay with the subtle approach for now. Zel cannot watch you all the time, not when he's still fighting past demons. He seems so safe to you, doesn't he Lina? If only you realized just how many abilities he refuses to use these days…all the lovely skills that can twist your thoughts in other directions. Or did you think your quick approval of myself was your own idea? A Muse is more than creative inspiration, just as you should be more than just another painter…__**will**__ be more.'_

Eyes half-lidded in thought, Xelloss sat back in his chair. He didn't need to keep an eye on Lina to know where she was, not that she'd be leaving the area with her friend about to sing again.

_'Not that looking isn't its own delight…'_

- - -

Lina gave a slight start of recognition as the next song began. Minor chords started up softly, a single piano the only instrumental accompaniment.

_Why am I so surprised? I know Filia's been working on Shattersong for months now, but I thought it was meant for someone special…unless, maybe she knew he'd be in the audience?_

Adopting a more solemn pose, Filia stepped up to the microphone, eyes purposely scanning the entire audience, drawing them in with a brief, yet direct, gaze.

_: What do you see, when you look through the night? Do you see my gaze searching for you? :_

Unlike most of the night's singers, Filia wasn't afraid to add a bit of movement to her performance. At key words she would move one way or another, reaching out to the audience at one time, pulling her arms in close at another. It was easy to picture her as a melancholy lover, singing the thoughts of her torn heart aloud.

_: Can you feel the touch of my eyes, do you know they're just watching over you? :_

- - -

_"Never let the crowd doubt that you're singing to them, Lina. Draw them in with your eyes, keep their attention with your words. Understand?"_

_It was easy to agree with Luna when she used her 'listen to me, I know what I'm talking about' voice. "Yes, Luna."_

_"Don't be stiff up there. You're a singer, but that doesn't mean you can't add a bit of movement to the song as well."_

_"Like a play?"_

_"Exactly! You can show that the song is more than just a bunch of words…there are real emotions to it, an actual story behind it."_

_: I don't mean to seem like I'm getting too close…that you mean more to me than you do. :_

Zelgadis was a lot like Luna; always so certain of his advice, always there to offer a new suggestion when she faltered. Their approach was a bit different, but the results were the same. They drove her to do her best, to show the skills they knew she had.

_But is that really what I want? Is the result worthless if I don't give my best?_

They cared about her, didn't they? They wouldn't push her if she honestly didn't want to go…success wasn't worth destroying a dream. Sure, Luna always pushed her, but hadn't she been the one to suggest stepping back from singing? Zel was proud when she finally let emotion pour into her paintings, but he never forced her to create when her heart wasn't in it.

_Or was your very best the only thing worth their time? Anything less is just pointless distraction, something for false praise before the real event._

Had she left singing because she was tired of it, or did Luna suggest it because she was sick of constantly supporting Lina? It couldn't have been easy to ease her fears, soothe her broken heart after all the insults. It wasn't easy constantly trying to drive someone to be the success you knew they could be.

_: I am just protecting you, nothing more. Don't read into it, don't seek the truth. :_

- - -

_'Something's wrong. Lina looks more like a trapped animal than the proud friend she was earlier.'_

For the fifth time in the last few minutes, Zelgadis watched Lina out of the corner of his eye. She was tense, that much was obvious. Aside from a death grip on her chair, her entire posture was rigid and forced.

_'I'd almost swear we weren't listening to the same performance. She looks like someone's torturing her with sound.'_

He knew Lina; he'd watched her for some time, worked with her from the shadows for far longer. Lina was unstoppable, fearless. She faced her worse fears head on, plowing through them whether they liked it or not. Hadn't she beaten him senseless a time or two?

_: I am all alone, as it should be. Don't break down my walls of resistance. :_

She forged her own path in life, unwilling to change for anyone. Yet she wasn't cold or harsh; in reality she had a definitely soft spot for others, which her numerous friends to could attest to. That was the thing about Lina, she was a lot of things, but for those that looked beyond the rough edges, there was a core of loyalty that would not be broken. If Lina supported someone, hell itself wouldn't stop her from standing beside them.

_: You must stay away, for your safety and mine; I can't bear seeing you get hurt. :_

Yet aside from Sylphiel, he was probably the only one that knew how different she could be at times. Weakness…no, _vulnerability _was a rare thing for Lina, but it was still there.

_'Somehow it all comes back to music. They wouldn't tell me much about Lina when they assigned me to her, just told me she needed inspiration and emotion to become a true painter.'_

As Muses went, Zelgadis was an odd one; where others were happy to blindly inspire their charges to new and greater feats of creativity, he preferred to treat his assignment as a person. People, especially people like Lina, weren't designed to blindly follow inspiration around. There was a lot more to them, things that - if understood - would not only improve their talents, but would improve them overall.

_'That's the problem with prodigies…too often the Muse cares about fame and talent, and ignores the broken child. Then they wonder why it all falls apart down the road. People aren't toys, we can't just program the parts we like and ignore how the rest of it works.'_

It was all well and good to believe such things, but what had be really been doing about it?

_'I've been so busy sulking about my past that I'm ignoring my job. No, this is more than a job to me, it always has been. Or else what was all that business with Sylphiel about? I actually give a damn about them, see them as more than mere talent. Lina's been acting odd for a while now…doesn't it really take having it stare me in the face for me to __**do **__something about it?'_

Once he had been one of the best. It was past time that he got back on his feet and lived up to skill he possessed. He owed Lina that much, owed himself another chance. Some things were more important than failure.

_'Imagine…a Muse like me taking a lesson from Lina. She'd never let me live it down.'_

- - -

_: I once fought the truth of my love…a forbidden love from me to you. :_

_Just what **is** art to me? I fought for so long to find the same emotion in it that singing brought…but now that Zel's opened my eyes a bit, should I just trade it all in for a past dream?_

Lina's thoughts circled themselves in an ever tightening spiral. She'd given up singing because of the emotional strain, yet she'd spent years trying to find that same emotion in art. Now that it was finally within sight, Xelloss was tempting her down another road.

Would going back to the stage really solve anything? It was doubtful that anything would've changed over the years. Mothers would still be abusive, the bar would still be painfully high, children would still burn themselves out to reach a dream; be it theirs or not.

_Would I even be thinking about this if it weren't for Zel? Adding emotion to painting…it reminds me so much of the music. Maybe all I ever wanted was that feeling, that emotion that just took me where it would. Do I really need to go back to music to recapture that? Memories of the past are obscuring the present, to the point where both options are demanding I choose them._

It was too late to believe she had the time or the energy for both. Art and music were equally demanding mistresses, especially if she wanted a real career out of it. Even Filia, someone that had her hand in everything, had told Lina of her final, single choice.

The question was, which choice would be the right one for her?

_: Now I must go, to face my fate. My love, I will always miss you… :_


End file.
